Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s Ambitious Effort to Reclaim a Vital Waterway
In the bustling city of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly known as Aurangabad), located in the heart of Maharashtra, India, the Kham River has long held a special place in the local culture and community. Once a vital lifeline, providing clean drinking water through an intricate system of ancient aqueducts, the Kham has in recent decades fallen victim to the pressures of rapid urbanization, unregulated waste disposal, and unchecked sand mining.
The Kham River’s Downfall and the Call for Restoration
As Asadullah Khan, a longtime resident and officer on special duty for the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, recounts, “During my childhood, when I used to come here, the water of the Kham River was so clean we used to drink from it. I wish that all the people of Aurangabad should get clean and pure water as I used to get during my childhood.” However, over the past few decades, the Kham has been transformed into a major dumping ground and public health hazard, with the river fluctuating from a torrent during the monsoon season to barely a trickle during dry months.
The problem of legacy waste in seasonal urban rivers is not unique to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar; in fact, 21% of municipal waste in India goes unprocessed, affecting the health of people, livestock, and wildlife. As Natasha Zarine, co-founder of EcoSattva, an environmental consulting firm in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, reflects, “Nobody wanted to come here. Once you got to the bridge, you’d quickly accelerate away because of the stench and the filth. The river became a reflection of the worst side of us. It had our garbage and our sewage, our negligence, and a lack of governance.”
A Coalition of Community and City-Led Efforts
By 2020, the Kham River had reached a breaking point, prompting a coalition of community and city-led groups to launch a multi-pronged restoration initiative. The goal was to revive the Kham’s function as a river and ultimately lead a cultural revival as a key component of the city.
Restoring the Kham River’s Ecosystem and Community Spaces
The restoration project started with a comprehensive data collection and research effort led by EcoSattva, which helped the team understand the river’s challenges and develop a strategic plan. The initial focus was on waste cleanup and dredging, which improved the river’s flow and flood resilience during the monsoon season.
The city then provided native plants and trees for planting along the riparian edge, helping to revive the ecosystem, provide shade, and create a native tree gallery where visitors can learn about the local flora. These efforts have been a boon for native wildlife, with one resident, Ashok Jain, a mechanical engineer, discovering a newfound passion for birdwatching and capturing pictures of 35 different bird species in the city and the Riverside EcoPark.
With the Kham River clean once again, the team turned its attention to preventing further pollution and waste from harming the waterway. This included implementing infrastructural improvements such as physical barriers along bridges to block dumping, garbage traps to stop waste from moving downstream, and connecting homes to the city’s formal sanitation system for safer waste management.
Empowering Waste Pickers and Fostering Community Engagement
Recognizing the importance of equity and community engagement, EcoSattva developed the Unnati Waste Management Services in 2021, a commercial waste management service that employs and empowers Safai Saathis, or waste pickers. These informal workers, who are often vulnerable to social exclusion, health risks, and income uncertainty, now work formally for the municipal government, providing them with secure incomes and increased social visibility.
More than 600 additional sanitation staff have also been integrated into municipal jobs, not only reducing the amount of waste that ends up in the Kham but also fostering greater public awareness of recycling practices and helping to restore a cultural ethos around keeping seasonal rivers clean.
Reviving the Kham River’s Cultural Significance
The restoration initiative has intentionally sought to revive the cultural connections between the Kham River and the local community. A local band’s “Kham Song” became an anthem for the river cleanup effort, and residents affectionately refer to the river as “Aapli Kham,” or “Our Kham.” Schoolchildren regularly go on birdwatching tours and biodiversity walks, while women’s groups have organized workshops and community activities.
The Kham River, historically revered as a sacred lifeline from its 400-year-old Neher aqueduct system, is now at the center of rising ambition for local river restoration projects. The initiative has inspired citizens to recognize the river as a living entity, intertwined with the community’s cultural fabric.
Setting a Precedent for Seasonal River Management
The Kham River Restoration Initiative has not only transformed the river’s physical and ecological condition but has also set a new standard for urban river management in India. As the first seasonal river in the country to have an Urban River Management Plan through the River Cities Alliance, the Kham is paving the way for other smaller-scale and seasonal rivers to create formal management frameworks.
These plans also expand cleanup work to other bodies of water at the regional basin-level, beyond municipal bounds. As Asadullah Khan, the municipal officer leading the restoration effort, reflects, “I feel proud because this is environmental work, and doing this satisfies my soul.”
The Kham River Restoration Initiative demonstrates how a social-ecological approach to waterway management can transform cities and improve lives. By addressing the multifaceted challenges of waste, sanitation, and community engagement, the project has dramatically reduced environmental degradation and flood risk along the Kham River, while also reviving its cultural significance as a vital component of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s identity.
Lessons for Other Cities
The success of the Kham River Restoration Initiative offers valuable lessons for other cities facing similar challenges with urban waterways:
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Adopt a Holistic, Community-Driven Approach: The Kham River project focused on addressing the root causes of pollution and degradation, involving both municipal authorities and local residents in the decision-making process. This collaborative effort was crucial in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the project.
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Empower Informal Waste Workers: By formalizing the role of Safai Saathis, the initiative not only improved waste management but also provided economic opportunities and social recognition for these marginalized workers, promoting a more inclusive and equitable approach.
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Revive Cultural Connections: Restoring the Kham River’s cultural significance as a sacred lifeline for the city was a key part of the project, fostering a renewed sense of community ownership and pride.
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Establish Formal Management Frameworks: The Kham River’s status as the first seasonal river in India to have an Urban River Management Plan sets an important precedent for other cities to follow, ensuring the long-term sustainability of restoration efforts.
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Leverage Partnerships and External Funding: The Kham River Restoration Initiative benefited from a coalition of community organizations, municipal authorities, and external funding sources, demonstrating the power of collaborative efforts in achieving meaningful change.
By embracing these lessons, other cities can follow in the footsteps of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and revive their own urban waterways, not only restoring the environment but also strengthening the cultural ties that bind communities together.
To learn more about the Kham River Restoration Initiative and other inspiring urban transformation projects, visit the Joint Action for Water website.
