Mumbai, Apr 1 (PTI) The proposed Maharashtra State River Rejuvenation Authority (MSRRA) will function as an apex body to tackle river pollution and undertake basin-level rejuvenation, state minister Pankaja Munde said on Wednesday, claiming that this is the first such initiative in the country.
She stated that the Environment and Climate Change Ministry, headed by her, will seek an annual allocation of Rs 400 crore for the MSRRA as part of a Rs 2,000 crore corpus planned over five years.
The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday cleared the setting up of the MSRRA to undertake revival projects for 54 polluted river stretches.
Munde claimed Maharashtra is the first state to establish such an integrated river rejuvenation authority aimed at addressing pollution through a coordinated, multi-departmental approach.
According to officials, Maharashtra has 55 of the country’s most polluted river stretches, the highest among states, based on biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels.
Rivers such as the Godavari, Bhima (Chandrabhaga), Indrayani, Mula, Mutha and Nag will be taken up on priority, they said.
Munde said the MSRRA will monitor all schemes related to river pollution and will be supported through state funds as well as funds from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and other sources.
“We are looking at a decade-long plan, but we will set targets for the first three years to demonstrate visible change,” she added.
The amount for 2026-27 is proposed to be raised through supplementary demands in the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature. In addition to the corpus, the authority will draw financial support from MPCB funds, corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions and international funding agencies, said an official from the state environment and climate change department.
Munde said the MSRRA will function as an apex body integrating regulatory and developmental roles to tackle river pollution and undertake basin-level rejuvenation.
“It will approve Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) and river basin management plans, while ensuring coordination among multiple departments involved in water resources, urban development, rural development and industry,” said the minister.
The authority will be chaired by the Chief Minister, and the Environment Minister will serve as its deputy chairperson. It will also include ministers of finance, water resources, urban development, industries and rural development.
A State Executive Committee headed by the environment minister will oversee implementation, monitor projects and issue directions to executing agencies, officials said.
According to officials, the authority will address bottlenecks such as land acquisition, encroachments, power supply and contractual issues through high-level coordination, with periodic reviews to ensure timelines and outcomes are met.
Munde said the MSRRA will also integrate technical expertise from institutions such as the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), while agencies like MITRA will help mobilise international funding.
The MSRRA will receive 10 per cent of the royalty accrued to the state from sand excavation in riverbeds, which was approved by the state cabinet today, she said.
“We may prioritise the Godavari as the Kumbh is approaching,” Munde said, adding that the authority will work on the lines of the Centre’s Namami Gange programme, which focuses on rejuvenation from a river’s origin to its outfall.
She said DPRs for various projects aimed at reducing pollution will be finalised first, and ongoing river-cleaning initiatives will also be brought under the authority’s purview to ensure convergence and avoid duplication of efforts.
Officials noted that fragmented implementation and limited financial and technical capacity at the local level have hindered past efforts, particularly in rural areas, necessitating a unified command structure like the MSRRA. PTI ND NSK
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