Jharkhand: Training Programme on the Preparation of an Urban River Management Plan (URMP)

Government of India

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Government of India

Jharkhand: Training Programme on the Preparation of an Urban River Management Plan (URMP)

July 8, 2025

About the Event

A two-day intensive training programme was conducted in Jharkhand on August 21–22, specifically designed for the city officials and technical teams from the five cities that will be preparing their Urban River Management Plans (URMPs). These cities are Ranchi, Adityapur, Chas, Dhanbad, and Sahibganj-Rajmaha.

The training provided a deep dive into the URMP framework and equipped participants with practical tools and methods to begin shaping their city-specific river management plans. Day 1 featured several presentations delivered by NIUA’s technical team about the features of the URMP framework, along with a highly engaging city-based group exercise, where teams collaboratively discussed the preparation of the URMP baseline through the identification of datasets, following the 10 objectives of the URMP framework. This session fostered rich discussion, critical thinking, and a sense of shared ownership over the planning process. The day concluded with an insightful session on used water management led by Shri Rajesh Pai from the WASH Institute, which offered valuable perspectives on sustainable urban water reuse and sparked animated discussions among participants.

Day 2 of the training continued to build capacity by introducing participants to the Urban River Management Index (URM Index) for monitoring and evaluation of a city’s progress, strategies to prioritise URMP objectives, and methods for conducting a SWOT analysis. Participants were also introduced to a range of nature-based solutions (NbS) and case studies from across India, showcasing how such approaches and innovative technologies can be effectively embedded within urban river interventions. Through hands-on exercises, group presentations, and open discussions, city teams began to ideate and conceptualise potential URMP-based projects tailored to their local contexts. Smt. Jyotshna Singh, Additional Secretary, Urban Development and Housing Department, Government of Jharkhand, graced the occasion in person to deliver the closing remarks. Shri Suraj Kumar, Program Director, SMCG Jharkhand & Director, SUDA, joined virtually to address the participants and detail the steps ahead.

The training served as a catalyst for coordinated action, strengthening the capacity of urban stakeholders and laying the groundwork for the development of effective and context-specific URMPs. The enthusiastic participation, collaborative spirit, and wealth of ideas exchanged over the two days underscore the state’s readiness to champion river-centric urban planning. With this strong foundation, Jharkhand’s cities are now well-positioned to initiate action on restoring its urban rivers as vital ecological and cultural assets.