In a major step toward reviving Delhi’s lifeline, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, in partnership with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and the Government of NCT of Delhi, launched the preparation of the Urban River Management Plan (URMP) at a stakeholder workshop held at Bharat Mandapam.

Presided over by Delhi’s Chief Secretary Dharmendra and Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, Debashree Mukherjee, the event marked the formal start of an integrated planning approach to rejuvenate the Yamuna River.

The workshop brought together 14 key departments and agencies to form a Multi-Stakeholder Group aimed at creating a shared understanding of the URMP framework and its implementation roadmap.

NMCG Director General Rajeev Kumar Mital emphasised the urgency of collaborative, scientifically grounded planning for the river’s revival. He called for the URMP to serve as a dynamic, action-oriented tool that embeds river-sensitive thinking into Delhi’s urban planning.

Chief Secretary Dharmendra declared, “Yamuna improves, Delhi improves,” urging practical, results-driven action to restore the river and integrate sustainable water management into urban development.

Debashree Mukherjee underlined that a healthy Yamuna directly impacts public health and urban resilience, especially in the era of climate change. She urged for the plan to become a collective civic movement.

Marisa Gerards, Ambassador of the Netherlands to India, announced the setting up of a Centre of Excellence on Urban Water Resilience in partnership with NMCG and IIT Delhi. She emphasised the need for global collaboration and endorsed integrating the Dutch ‘Water as Leverage’ approach into the URMP framework.

World Bank’s Rebecca Epworth shared insights from Australia’s urban river management and affirmed the Bank’s support for Delhi’s URMP. IIT Delhi will focus on flood risk assessment and management, while Professor C.R. Babu stressed the importance of nature-based solutions and biodiversity.

The URMP, jointly prepared by NIUA and IIT Delhi, will target pollution control, wetland restoration, encroachment prevention, and water reuse through coordinated efforts. It will be monitored using a new Urban River Management Index covering ten performance areas. The final outputs will include actionable projects and detailed reports, funded through a mix of government grants, viability gap funding, and urban local body (ULB) resources.

Interactive sessions and public engagement activities at the workshop highlighted the importance of citizen involvement. The message was clear—Delhi is committed to reclaiming the Yamuna not just as a river, but as the heart of a resilient, sustainable, and vibrant city.

The URMP marks a shift from fragmented efforts to unified, science-backed, and people-driven river restoration, setting the stage for a cleaner, greener capital.