The 21st meeting (Part-II) of the Central Monitoring Committee on river rejuvenation was held under the chairpersonship of Shri V. L. Kantha Rao, Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR) in the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The meeting brought together senior officials from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD), the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and representatives of concerned state governments and state pollution control boards. The attendance underscored a coordinated approach across central and state agencies to address pollution in river systems.

The committee reviewed the status of implementation of action plans for polluted river stretches, focusing on progress in construction and commissioning of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and common effluent treatment plants (CETPs), the functioning and compliance status of existing sewage treatment infrastructure and interventions in solid waste management. Environmental flows and floodplain regulation were examined alongside the submission of action plans for management of pollution in coastal areas.

The chair emphasised the need to bridge the gap between sewage generation and treatment by ensuring optimal utilisation and compliance of existing sewage treatment plants and by expediting ongoing projects so that improvements in river water quality are sustained. The secretary urged states to enhance reuse of treated wastewater and to adopt the Reuse of Treated Water Policy where it has not yet been adopted, to strengthen floodplain zoning and to improve monitoring mechanisms. The committee also called for timely submission of monthly progress reports (MPRs).

The committee undertook a detailed review of state level progress in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Maharashtra, Goa and Himachal Pradesh and noted areas requiring follow up. River Rejuvenation Committees (RRCs) were reviewed for their functioning. Further monitoring was planned.