National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has signed a Memorandum of Common Purpose (MoCP) with the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI).MRCTI represents 124 cities/towns situated along the banks of the Mississippi River, in the United States.The NMCG has signed the MoCP on behalf of the River Cities Alliance (RCA). The signing ceremony took place as part of the COP28, in Dubai.
Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative
- The MRCTI was created in 2012 to provide an influential voice for the Mississippi River, dramatically increasing demand for effective river protection, restoration, and management in Washington, DC.
- It addresses matters of mutual concern, including river water quality and habitat restoration, flooding and floodplain issues, river-focused recreation, sustainable economies, and celebration of the River culture and history.
River Cities Alliance
- The RCA is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) & the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), with a vision to connect river cities and focus on sustainable river centric development.
- The Alliance focuses on three broad themes- Networking, Capacity Building and Technical Support.
- Beginning with 30 member cities in November 2021, the Alliance has expanded to 110 river cities across India and one international member city from Denmark.
Objective
- The RCA intends to facilitate knowledge exchange (online) for Indian cities to learn new practices and approaches for urban river management.
- It will also be an opportunity for international cities to learn about experiences in Indian cities, which may be relevant to their contexts.
National Mission for Clean Ganga
- On 12th August 2011, the NMCG was listed as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
- It acted as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
- NGRBA was dissolved in 2016 and replaced by the National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection, and Management of River Ganga.
- The objective of the NMCG is to reduce pollution and ensure the rejuvenation of the Ganga River.
- Namami Gange is one of the Coveted Programmes of NMCG to clean Ganga.
- This can be achieved by promoting intersectoral coordination for comprehensive planning & management and maintaining minimum ecological flow in the river, with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development.
Organization Structure
The Act envisages a five-tier structure at the national, state, and district levels to take measures for prevention, control, and abatement of environmental pollution in river Ganga as below
- National Ganga Council under the chairmanship of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.
- Empowered Task Force (ETF) on river Ganga under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti (Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation).
- National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).
- State Ganga Committees
- District Ganga Committees in every specified district abutting river Ganga and its tributaries in the states.