By Restoring India’s Kham River, a City Revives Its Cultural Legacy

The Kham River Restoration Initiative in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, India, has transformed a polluted seasonal river into a community asset. Through a coalition of municipal leadership and community groups, the project implemented an Urban River Management Plan, restored 54 acres of riparian zone, and integrated informal waste pickers into formal municipal employment. These efforts have reduced flood risk, improved public health, and restored the city's cultural connection to the waterway.

• The Kham River had degraded from a historical source of drinking water into a public health hazard and dumping ground due to population growth, unregulated sand mining, and unmanaged waste.
• Since 2020, the restoration initiative has achieved significant ecological and social milestones, including the restoration of 54 acres of riparian zone, the benefit of 25,000 households from new waste collection, and the elimination of flooding for two consecutive years.
• The project established a formal management framework as the first seasonal river in India to implement an Urban River Management Plan via the River Cities Alliance, providing a model for other non-perennial rivers.
• To prevent further pollution, the city implemented physical barriers on bridges and garbage traps, while the Unnati Waste Management Services formalized the role of 'Safai Saathis' (waste pickers), providing secure income and professional training to these informal workers.
• The initiative focused on cultural and community revival by converting 110 'Garbage Vulnerable Points' into pocket parks and creating the 5-kilometer Riverside EcoPark, which includes revived ponds and an amphitheater made from recycled tires.

APA

World Resources Institute (2024). By Restoring India’s Kham River, a City Revives Its Cultural Legacy. https://www.wri.org/insights/kham-river-restoration

Chicago

World Resources Institute. By Restoring India’s Kham River, a City Revives Its Cultural Legacy. 2024. https://www.wri.org/insights/kham-river-restoration.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=By Restoring India’s Kham River, a City Revives Its Cultural Legacy |date=31 July 2024 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/kham-river-restoration |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2024restoring, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{By Restoring India’s Kham River, a City Revives Its Cultural Legacy}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/kham-river-restoration}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }