Maharashtra’s Environment and Climate Change Minister, Pankaja Munde, announced a proposal for an annual allocation of Rs 400 crore to the Maharashtra State River Rejuvenation Authority (MSRRA) as part of a larger Rs 2,000 crore corpus over five years to combat river pollution. The MSRRA, functioning as an apex body, will oversee schemes related to river pollution and receive support from state funds, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), and other sources. The state aims to demonstrate visible changes within the first three years of the decade-long plan.
The upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature is expected to raise the proposed amount for 2026-27 through supplementary demands. Besides the corpus, the authority will seek financial backing from MPCB funds, corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions, and international funding agencies. The MSRRA will play a pivotal role in integrating regulatory and developmental functions to address river pollution and implement basin-level rejuvenation efforts.
Chaired by the Chief Minister, the MSRRA will include key ministers from various departments to ensure coordination among entities involved in water resources, urban development, rural development, and industry. An Executive Committee led by the environment minister will supervise project implementation and provide guidance to executing agencies. Technical expertise from institutions like NEERI and IITs will be integrated, with support from agencies like MITRA for international funding mobilization.
A significant source of funding for the MSRRA will be 10% of the state’s royalty from sand excavation in riverbeds, as approved by the state Cabinet. Maharashtra, with 55 highly polluted river stretches, plans to prioritize rejuvenation efforts for rivers like Godavari, Bhima, Indrayani, Mula, Mutha, and Nag. The MSRRA’s approach aligns with the Namami Gange program, focusing on holistic river rejuvenation from source to outfall.
Officials highlighted the need for a unified command structure like the MSRRA due to past challenges in fragmented implementation and limited local capacity. The authority will enhance coordination with the MPCB for regulatory enforcement, capacity building, public outreach, and expert-led planning across environmental engineering, biodiversity, and public health sectors. Maharashtra takes pride in being the first state to establish such an integrated river rejuvenation authority.
The state Cabinet approved the establishment of the Maharashtra State River Rejuvenation Authority, modeled after the National River Conservation Plan, to address river pollution and conservation. The Chief Minister will lead the authority, with the Environment and Climate Change Minister as the Vice-Chairperson. The authority, with a planned corpus of Rs 2,000 crore, will also receive 10% of revenue from minor mineral extraction annually, along with funds from CSR contributions and financial institutions.
