River rejuvenation requires a comprehensive approach that combines conventional wastewater treatment infrastructure with sustainable ecological interventions. Sewerage networks and Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) remain the cornerstone of pollution abatement, but the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is increasingly integrating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to complement these efforts. Alongside measures to ensure environmental flows (E-Flows) that maintain the continuous flow of rivers, NMCG is promoting Nature-based Solutions to strengthen ecological restoration, improve river ecosystem health and build resilient water management systems. This integrated approach reflects the Mission’s commitment to long-term, sustainable river rejuvenation through a combination of engineering and nature-based interventions.
As part of this strategy, NMCG is mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions through the Sustainable River Rejuvenation (SRR) programme, implementing pilot projects based on constructed wetlands for in-situ treatment of urban drains, while also promoting research, innovation and capacity building for wider adoption. By adding Nature-based Solutions alongside conventional treatment technologies, NMCG is advancing a holistic river basin management approach that brings together pollution abatement, ecological restoration and institutional strengthening to rejuvenate rivers across the Ganga basin.
Two Pilot Projects on the Yamuna
The two pilot projects, at Shastri Park Drain and Kailash Nagar Drain, have a combined treatment capacity of approximately 10 MLD and both discharge into the Yamuna. Together they mark an important step towards sustainable, low-energy and climate-resilient approaches for urban drain management. Unlike conventional treatment systems that rely heavily on mechanical infrastructure and energy-intensive processes, these interventions are based on constructed wetland systems that replicate the treatment functions found in natural wetlands.
The treatment systems combine stone masonry structures for regulating water flow and enhancing hydraulic retention time, rock filters for removing suspended solids, aquatic vegetation for nutrient uptake and oxygen transfer, and phytoremediation using carefully selected plant species capable of absorbing, stabilising and degrading pollutants, including excess nutrients and certain heavy metals. Working together, these natural processes improve dissolved oxygen levels, reduce organic pollution, enhance biodiversity and restore ecological functions, all while requiring much lower operational and maintenance inputs than conventional systems.
Progress on the Ground
Steady progress has already been made at both project sites. At Kailash Nagar Drain, site clearance through desludging and desilting is complete, brick lining works are underway, and installation of rock filters will follow in the next phase. At Shastri Park Drain, preparatory desludging and desilting activities are in progress, paving the way for installation of stone masonry structures, rock filtration systems and aquatic plant species. Together, these two projects are expected to demonstrate the effectiveness of Nature-based Solutions in treating around 10 MLD of wastewater, while serving as scalable and cost-effective models for urban drain management across the Ganga basin.
Building Capacity Through Training
Successful implementation of Nature-based Solutions requires strong technical expertise and institutional capacity, so NMCG is investing in knowledge creation and capacity development alongside the physical work. Through the Knowledge Sharing and Development Centre (KSDC) initiative, six capacity-building and training programmes were organised between August 2025 and March 2026, benefiting more than 100 participants from key stakeholder organisations. Participants included engineers and officials from the Yamuna Task Force, District Ganga Committees (Uttarakhand), State Mission for Clean Ganga (SMCGs), Forest Departments, Irrigation Departments and other agencies involved in river rejuvenation and watershed management.
These training programmes focused on strengthening technical capacity for planning, designing and implementing Nature-based Solutions, with emphasis on constructed wetlands, ecological restoration and sustainable river management. By bringing together officials from multiple departments and institutions, the programmes encouraged inter-agency collaboration and helped spread best practices for river rejuvenation. Through this knowledge exchange and capacity building, NMCG is creating an ecosystem that supports the wider adoption of innovative, science-based river restoration approaches.
Extending the Approach: The Khatauli Project on River Kali
Beyond the pilot interventions, NMCG has also implemented a Constructed Wetland project at Khatauli for the rejuvenation of River Kali, a tributary that receives significant domestic and industrial discharge before joining the Ganga basin. Designed as a sustainable, low-energy treatment system, the project uses wetland vegetation and natural biological processes to reduce the pollution load, improve water quality and support ecological restoration closer to the source.
By complementing conventional pollution abatement measures with nature-based interventions, the Khatauli project reflects NMCG’s integrated approach to river rejuvenation, one that combines engineering solutions with ecological restoration to build healthier, more resilient river ecosystems. Working with nature rather than against it, the Mission is laying the groundwork for cleaner rivers, healthier urban ecosystems and more resilient water management systems, while creating scalable models that can guide river conservation efforts across the country.
Key Takeaway: The National Mission for Clean Ganga’s growing emphasis on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) reflects a shift towards integrating ecological restoration with conventional wastewater treatment for sustainable river rejuvenation. Through pilot constructed wetland projects at the Shastri Park and Kailash Nagar drains on the Yamuna, the Khatauli Constructed Wetland Project on the River Kali, and capacity-building initiatives under the Knowledge Sharing and Development Centre (KSDC), NMCG is promoting low-energy, climate-resilient and scalable models for pollution abatement and river basin management.
By combining engineering interventions with natural treatment processes, the Mission aims to improve water quality, strengthen ecosystem health and build resilient water management systems, reinforcing India’s long-term commitment to sustainable conservation of the Ganga basin.
M.C.Q.
Question 1: Under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the recently launched pilot projects at Shastri Park Drain and Kailash Nagar Drain primarily use which of the following technologies?
- A. Reverse Osmosis (RO) treatment plants
- B. Activated sludge process
- C. Constructed wetland systems based on Nature-based Solutions (NbS)
- D. Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) technology
Question 2: The Khatauli Constructed Wetland Project, recently in the news, has been implemented for the rejuvenation of which river?
- A. Hindon River
- B. River Kali
- C. Chambal River
- D. Betwa River
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