Municipal commissioners to oversee river rejuvenation program

24 Jan 2023 CW Team

Instead of district collectors, municipal commissioners from Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Thane will now serve as the program's chairman for the Maharashtra government's "Chala Januya Nadila" (Know Our River) initiative. The change intends to enhance the program's execution.

The state government established this program to enhance the condition of the state's waterways. For short- and long-term government measures to raise biodiversity and improve water quality, over 103 rivers have been shortlisted.

The program's completion deadlines have been extended by six months. Prior schedules said that the program would start for at least 75 rivers in the state until January 26, 2023. The district-level committees had until January 20, 2023, to complete their reports, and they had until January 22, 2023, to submit them to the government. The last day to submit applications has been moved up to August 15.

To educate the public about maintaining the health of these water bodies, the state government of Maharashtra initiated the rejuvenation initiative for 103 rivers in September 2022. A "Nadi Samvad" Yatra and the "Chala Januya Nadila" (Know Our Rivers) campaign were initiated by the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department.

Indrayani, Pawna, Velganga, Mutha, Khushivali, Bhatsa, and Bharangi rivers are in Pune; Ulhas, Dahisar, Mithi, Walghat, Oshiwara, and Poisar rivers are in Mumbai; and Krishna and its tributaries, Bhima, are in Pune.

The initiative intends to, among other things, map the state of rivers from their source to their mouth, research the cultural interactions of people with rivers, take time-bound action to reduce river pollution, and map encroachments.

The state government made the decision on September 30, 2022, and on October 14, 2022, it released a resolution outlining the goals and road plan.

During the project's implementation, district-level officials—who are in charge of it—found out that in some municipal corporations in the state, the commissioner has more authority over waterways than the district collector.

The programme coordinator for Mumbai, Senal Dhonde said, “We requested the government that in the case of Mumbai especially, the Municipal Commissioner holds greater power than the district collector when it comes to maintenance of rivers. Hence, instead of the district collector, the municipal commissioner should head the committee. Our demands were met, but they are now applicable to four other cities.”

Instead of district collectors, municipal commissioners from Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Thane will now serve as the program's chairman for the Maharashtra government's Chala Januya Nadila (Know Our River) initiative. The change intends to enhance the program's execution. The state government established this program to enhance the condition of the state's waterways. For short- and long-term government measures to raise biodiversity and improve water quality, over 103 rivers have been shortlisted. The program's completion deadlines have been extended by six months. Prior schedules said that the program would start for at least 75 rivers in the state until January 26, 2023. The district-level committees had until January 20, 2023, to complete their reports, and they had until January 22, 2023, to submit them to the government. The last day to submit applications has been moved up to August 15. To educate the public about maintaining the health of these water bodies, the state government of Maharashtra initiated the rejuvenation initiative for 103 rivers in September 2022. A Nadi Samvad Yatra and the Chala Januya Nadila (Know Our Rivers) campaign were initiated by the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department. Indrayani, Pawna, Velganga, Mutha, Khushivali, Bhatsa, and Bharangi rivers are in Pune; Ulhas, Dahisar, Mithi, Walghat, Oshiwara, and Poisar rivers are in Mumbai; and Krishna and its tributaries, Bhima, are in Pune. The initiative intends to, among other things, map the state of rivers from their source to their mouth, research the cultural interactions of people with rivers, take time-bound action to reduce river pollution, and map encroachments. The state government made the decision on September 30, 2022, and on October 14, 2022, it released a resolution outlining the goals and road plan. During the project's implementation, district-level officials—who are in charge of it—found out that in some municipal corporations in the state, the commissioner has more authority over waterways than the district collector. The programme coordinator for Mumbai, Senal Dhonde said, “We requested the government that in the case of Mumbai especially, the Municipal Commissioner holds greater power than the district collector when it comes to maintenance of rivers. Hence, instead of the district collector, the municipal commissioner should head the committee. Our demands were met, but they are now applicable to four other cities.” See also: Sonowal launches Bharat PravahIndian hydropower project's design on Bramhaputra changed

Infrastructure Energy

22 Oct 2025

KEC Secures Rs 10, 380 Mn Substation Order in Saudi Arabia

KEC International Ltd., a global infrastructure EPC major, and an RPG Group company, has secured a new order worth Rs 10,380 million for the Design, Supply and Installation of a 380 kV GIS Substation in Saudi Arabia.Vimal Kejriwal, MD & CEO, KEC International Ltd., commented, “We are delighted with the successive order wins in our T&D business. In a landmark achievement, we have secured our largest ever substation order. This prestigious order in the Middle East has widened our portfolio and strengthened our presence in the region. With this strategic win, our year-to-date or..

Infrastructure Urban

22 Oct 2025

Central Bank of India executes first fully digital SCF deal on PSB Xchange

In a major advancement for India’s banking sector, Central Bank of India (CBI) has successfully completed the country’s first fully digital supply chain finance (SCF) transaction on PSB Xchange—a unified multi-lender platform launched by PSB Alliance. PSB Xchange is designed to connect public and private sector banks, NBFCs, and fintechs with corporates and their channel partners to facilitate supply chain finance and small business loans. The transaction marks the first time a fintech-originated corporate lead has been seamlessly processed through the PSB Xchange ecosystem. The lead fl..

Infrastructure Energy

22 Oct 2025

Atlanta Electricals secures Rs 1,835 Mn transformer order from BNC Power

Atlanta Electricals Limited (“Atlanta”) has secured an order worth Rs 1,835 million from BNC Power Projects Ltd for the supply of extra high voltage (EHV) transformers and a bus reactor for its Pugal site. The contract includes a mix of 315 MVA, 400 KV and 100 MVA, 132 KV transformers along with a 400 KV bus reactor. The project scope encompasses design, manufacturing, testing, and supply to the project site. Deliveries will be sequenced following engineering and drawing approvals, offering multi-quarter execution visibility and ensuring a steady production run-rate. The order will be ex..