National Mission for Clean Ganga Approves Major Research Projects to Strengthen Scientific River Management
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | SDG 14: Life Below Water
Institutions: National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) | Ministry of Jal Shakti
In its 67th-Executive Committee meeting held on 17 November 2025, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) approved a suite of research projects aimed at enhancing scientific capabilities for the rejuvenation and management of the Ganga River and its tributaries.
Key features of the approved agenda include:
Strengthening of monitoring systems for water quality, flow regimes and sediment transport, enabling more frequent and accurate data collection across the river basin.
Deployment of advanced modelling tools to understand river dynamics, pollutant loads, hydrology and ecological restoration potential, facilitating evidence-based decision making.
Capacity building for state and local agencies to operationalise scientific findingsβcovering staff training, institutional processes and collaboration with academic/research institutions.
Emphasis on integrated river-basin management, linking upstream land-use changes, tributary interventions and ecosystem restoration with main-stem river health.
For India, this means that the Ministry of Jal Shakti and NMCG are shifting from largely infrastructure-based river clean-up efforts towards more scientifically grounded, data-driven management of river systems β which should yield better long-term outcomes in water quality, biodiversity, flood mitigation and sustainable livelihoods.
By institutionalising research, monitoring and modelling within the Ganga mission, the government strengthens alignment with the national Water Mission, the National Flood Plain Management Programme and the goals of the Ganga Rejuvenation Programme. This matters because effective river management depends not just on installing treatment plants or cleaning banks, but on understanding entire river-basin processes and ecosystem linkages. Enhancing scientific rigour supports the aim of achieving SDG 6 (including target 6.3 on improving water quality) and SDG 14 (target 14.2 on protecting aquatic ecosystems).
What is the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)?β The NMCG is a statutory body under the Ministry of Jal Shakti responsible for planning, coordinating and executing programmes for cleaning, conserving and rejuvenating the Ganga, its tributaries and associated ecosystems. It works with state governments, local bodies, research institutions and civil-society to implement river-health interventions.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How will the findings from these new research projects be translated into actionable policy and implementation at the state- and district-level, and what mechanisms will ensure feedback loops between monitoring outcomes and operational investments?
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