Maarg Manthan · Topic 20.21

Smart Ganga City Scheme

Environment & Ecology › Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment · Topic 20.21

The Smart Ganga City Scheme is an initiative of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under Namami Gange, started in 2016 along with the Ministry of Urban Development, to develop selected cities and towns on the banks of the Ganga as model river-sensitive cities. The idea is that the river should be treated as the central feature of urban planning, so that sewage, drains, solid waste, riverfront use and public spaces are designed to protect and revive the river rather than pollute it. The scheme was started in about ten cities in the Ganga basin states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, with a few of these linked to the Smart Cities Mission, and the list of pilot cities should be checked on the NMCG website. Activities include sewerage and sewage treatment, interception and diversion of drains, management of solid and plastic waste, riverfront and ghat development, water use efficiency and reuse of treated water, conservation of urban wetlands, floodplain protection, e-flow monitoring, and public awareness. Related efforts support the same aim. The River-Cities Alliance, launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, is a network of river cities in India that shares knowledge on sustainable urban river management. Arth Ganga, announced in 2019, is an economic model to link the river with livelihoods through natural farming along the banks, reuse of sludge and wastewater, tourism and public participation. The Ganga Gram scheme focuses on villages. Hedge details: the cities, funds and schemes are revised from time to time, so check the latest NMCG documents.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Environment & Ecology · Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment

At a Glance

Agency NMCG with urban ministry
Started 2016
Pilot About ten cities
Idea River-centric urban planning
Linked River-Cities Alliance, Arth Ganga
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Environment & Ecology: Protected Areas Lists and Recent Developments in Environment

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the Ganga Authorities Order and finishes the Ganga block by showing how the river programme reaches into city planning, and it prepares for the topics on waste and local water models. Previous topic: Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Replaced 2009 NGRBA order Apex body National Ganga Council,…">River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016. Next topic: National Capacity Building Project for Waste Management.

What Does the Smart Ganga City Scheme Aim to Do?

Aspect	Details
Agency	National Mission for Clean Ganga under Namami Gange, with the urban development ministry
Start	2016, in about ten pilot cities in the Ganga basin
Aim	River-centric urban planning so that cities protect and revive the river
Core works	Sewerage, sewage treatment, drain interception, solid and plastic waste management
Riverfront	Ghats, public spaces and floodplain protection
Water	Efficient use, reuse of treated water and conservation of wetlands
Link	Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT for urban funding

River-Cities Alliance: launched in 2021; network of river cities for knowledge sharing
Arth Ganga: 2019 model linking river care with livelihoods
Arth Ganga verticals: natural farming, sludge and wastewater reuse, livelihoods, participation, tourism and heritage, institutions
Ganga Gram: a scheme to develop villages on the banks
AMRUT: urban water and sewerage mission
Hybrid annuity model: sewage projects run by private operators with performance payments
One city one operator: single operator for sewage in a city
Concern: urban growth outpaces treatment, and floodplain encroachment continues

What Else Should You Remember?

Ganga basin: covers about a quarter of India’s land area and supports a large share of the population
Cities on the Ganga: Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Patna and others
Sewage load: the main source of pollution is untreated municipal sewage
Drains: many cities discharge drains directly into the river
Namami Gange: approved in 2015 with a Rs 20,000 crore outlay
Sewerage infrastructure: the largest part of Namami Gange spending
Hybrid annuity: a payment model that links payments to plant performance
One City One Operator: a model to give one operator responsibility for sewage assets
Riverfront development: ghats and crematoria are improved
Floodplain zoning: limits construction in flood-prone areas
Urban wetlands: conserved as natural sponges and recharge zones
Reuse of treated water: for industry, gardens and construction
Ganga Praharis: volunteers who monitor
Ganga Quest: online awareness competition
Smart Cities Mission: launched in 2015 with 100 cities
AMRUT: Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, 2015
Urban local bodies: must run the assets after building
Real time monitoring: water quality and sewage plant monitoring online
Digital twins: NMCG tools for planning in some cities
Solid waste: segregation and processing under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016
Single-use plastic: bans reduce plastics on the ghats
Tourism: ghat management and cleanliness drives for Kumbh and similar events
Link to previous: see River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016
Link to next: see National Capacity Building Project for Waste Management
Link to programme: see Namami Gange Programme and Ganga Rejuvenation Plan
Caution: pilot lists and funds change, so check NMCG
Exam hint: remember river-centric planning, River-Cities Alliance and Arth Ganga
City role: City governments control drainage, land use, building permissions and solid waste, so they decide whether the river stays healthy
Operation and maintenance: Plants and drains need long-term operators, power and staff, which the performance-based contracts aim to secure
Public spaces: Riverfronts designed with flood space and green areas can be used by people without harming the river
Data and planning: Mapping of drains, sewer networks and polluted stretches helps in choosing projects
Citizen role: Citizens can help by connecting homes to sewers, not dumping waste in drains and joining river clean-up groups
Industry: Cities also have to regulate small industries and tanneries that send effluent to drains

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Agency: NMCG
Idea: River-centric cities
Linked: River-Cities Alliance, Arth Ganga
Current affairs link: Urban river management
Common errors: confusing it with the Smart Cities Mission

As an analytical point, rivers are cleaned or polluted mostly by cities. Making the river a design principle for urban drainage, waste and floodplain use is more lasting than building a treatment plant alone.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Idea River-centric
Works Sewage, waste
Gap Operation

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the National Capacity Building Project for Waste Management. Next topic: National Capacity Building Project for Waste Management.

Key People and Terms

Smart Ganga City River-centric city pilot
RCA River-Cities Alliance
Arth Ganga River-linked economy
HAM Hybrid annuity model
AMRUT Urban water mission
ULB Urban local body

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Agency NMCG.
Started 2016.
About ten pilot cities.
RCA launched 2021.
Arth Ganga 2019.

Do Not Confuse With

Smart Ganga City and Smart Cities Mission River-focused pilot versus national urban mission
Arth Ganga and Namami Gange Economic model versus programme
RCA and Ganga Gram City network versus village scheme

Memory Hook

River at the centre of the city plan: ghats, drains, waste, and an Arth for the span.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for agency, aim and linked schemes. These points help.

Idea River-centric
Works Sewerage
Links RCA, Arth Ganga

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“What is the Smart Ganga City Scheme? How does it link urban development with river rejuvenation?”

How to Answer

Idea River-centric.
Works Sewage.
Links RCA.
Gaps Operation.

GS Relevance

Prelims: agency, aim, linked schemes. GS Paper 2 and 3: urban planning and river conservation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Smart Ganga City Scheme?

The Smart Ganga City Scheme is an initiative of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, started in 2016 with the urban development ministry, to develop selected cities on the Ganga as model river-sensitive cities, by planning sewage, drains, waste, riverfronts and public spaces so that they protect the river rather than pollute it.

Which agency runs the scheme?

The National Mission for Clean Ganga, the implementing arm of the Namami Gange programme under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, runs the scheme, working with the urban ministry and the state governments and urban local bodies of the Ganga basin states, using funds from Namami Gange, AMRUT and the Smart Cities Mission.

What is the River-Cities Alliance?

The River-Cities Alliance is a network of river cities in India launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It helps cities share knowledge and plan sustainable urban river management, covering topics such as sewage, floodplains, water reuse and riverfront design.

What is Arth Ganga?

Arth Ganga is a model announced in 2019 that links the Ganga with livelihoods and the economy. Its verticals include natural farming along the banks, reuse of sludge and wastewater, jobs and livelihoods, public participation, tourism and heritage, and institution building. It is meant to make river conservation economically attractive for local people.

Why is urban planning important for river cleaning?

Most pollution in the Ganga comes from untreated sewage and drains of cities. Plants alone are not enough if cities grow without sewers, if floodplains are built over, or if waste is dumped in drains. River-centric planning, strong urban local bodies and operation of assets over time are needed.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 The Smart Ganga City scheme is run by NMCG.

True

Under Namami Gange.

2 Arth Ganga was announced in 2019.

True

A river-linked economic model.

3 River-Cities Alliance covers only Ganga cities.

False

It covers river cities across India.

4 The scheme replaces the Smart Cities Mission.