EcoSattva
The Pitch
EcoSattva—in collaboration with Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, Varroc Foundation and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Cantonment Board—revived the Kham River through a three-pronged approach to river restoration that combined deep ecological restoration of the riparian zone, upstream waste management and pollution prevention, and thoughtful community stewardship.
The Problem
Sewer leakage and improper dumping of solid waste turned the historic Kham river into a “perennial flow of garbage.” Neglect and depletion of riparian green cover worsened the situation, contributing to a loss of cultural identity around the river and exacerbating monsoon flooding.
The Process
- Established a public-private-civil society partnership through communication, trust and accountability
- Collected data and established monitoring mechanisms to measure municipal solid waste and sewage management
- Cleaned 11 kilometers of the Kham River
- Stabilizing seven kilometers of riverbank by removing invasives and accumulated waste
- Planted 55,000+ trees
- Created a focus on water bodies and water body management that led to the city's initiation into the River Cities Alliance and the creation of the city's Urban River Management Plan
- Set up a Kham River Management Committee consisting of 13 government departments
The Impact
- Developed public spaces including Amar Shaheed Udyaan, a commemoration of Chaatrapati Sambhajinagar’s martyrs, and pocket parks
- Converted previous dumping points and a 5-kilometer porous pathway along the riverbank into play spaces or parks
- Created a riverfront now used by birders, health enthusiasts, artists, musicians, senior citizens and working residents
- Established a stronger waste disposal system by improving collection, processing and trash-tapping infrastructure, ultimately preventing solid waste from entering the river
- Connected cowshed owners, who previously released slurry directly into the river, to a treatment plant
- Integrated 24,793 households into solid-waste collection
- Promoted a stronger sense of community by hosting diverse programs for different populations including senior citizens, waste pickers and kindergarten students
- Offered hands-on learning opportunities for students in architecture, heritage conservation and landscape design
- Connected interested residents with volunteering opportunities and environmental education through groups, like Ploggers and NandiniXArt, and several schools
- Brought economic benefits: Land values increased, benefiting low-income communities, and local artists, musicians and architects were hired for park art
