Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government has launched an ambitious river conservation initiative aimed at cleaning and rejuvenating the holy River Narmada, with Rs 2,459 crore earmarked for the first phase under the “Nirmal Aviral Narmada Yojana.”
At a high-level review meeting held on Monday here, Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said the state will seek central assistance under the National River Conservation Plan to ensure effective implementation.
The project covers both urban and rural areas along the river’s 1,077-km stretch, including 54 towns and 818 villages across 27 districts.
“The core objective is to reduce pollution in the holy River Narmada, the lifeline of the state, by promoting wastewater treatment and reuse systems,” Vijayvargiya said.
The “Aviral Nirmal Narmada” mission, launched by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, is being positioned as a comprehensive environmental initiative to preserve the ecological and cultural legacy of the state’s most revered river. Under the scheme, plantation will be carried out over approximately 5,600 hectares of forest area along both banks of the Narmada River, covering a stretch of 10 kilometres.
Physical surveys in riverbank cities will be conducted before implementation begins. Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in these areas will be prioritised for timely completion. The minister also emphasised the importance of inter-departmental coordination with the Rural Development, Water Resources, and Narmada Valley Development departments to ensure effective field-level execution.
“The project also includes measures to curb untreated industrial discharge and implement water treatment systems in industrial zones,” Vijayvargiya said. “Areas along the Narmada Parikrama route and around key religious sites will be surveyed for pollution control and tourism development opportunities,” he added. Urban Administration and Development Commissioner Sanket Bhondve said the plan is being structured with 2025 as the target year for implementation. “Urban local bodies will undertake extensive plantation drives along the riverbanks, and residents near the river will be encouraged to connect their homes to the nearest STPs,” he added.