Kham River Restoration Mission wins international accolade in New York

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Here is good news, the Kham River Restoration Mission has been recognised by the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities as part of their Ross Prize for Cities. The prize was presented during New York Climate Week and the United Nations General Assembly held in New York City recently.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (erstwhile Aurangabad) along with the four other finalists and prize winners - Oslo, New York, Buenos Aires and Fortaleza - showcased their models for urban transformation at the Yale Hixon Center for Urban Sustainability.

It may be noted that the efforts to restore the river have been ongoing for the past few years. So far, 14 kilometres have been beautified, deepened, and pitched (paved).

Previously, the river was in a state resembling a drain. In 2020, the restoration project partnered between Varroc Engineering, Chattrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC), Cantonment Board and EcoSattva through an agreement and the actual work commenced.

The river stretches approximately 53 kilometres (km) from Harsul Lake to Jayakwadi, with 14 km of work completed within the municipal corporation limits, including 5 km of stone pitching and beautification from waste materials. Over Rs 4.5 crores have been spent on this work by Varroc Company under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), while the CSMC has reportedly spent nearly Rs 10 crores on vehicles, fuel, and related tasks (on managing operations with JCBs, Poclains, tippers, and other vehicles, covering fuel costs and the salaries of officials and staff), revealed the information at a press conference on Tuesday evening.

“More than 4,000 truckloads of debris have been used to create pathways along both sides of the river. The efforts are underway to desilt, clean and restore the river flowing through rural areas beyond the municipal limits,” said EcoSattva’s Natasha Zarine, who had received the prize on behalf of the project, in New York.

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The CSMC administrator G Sreekanth, vice president (Varroc Engineering) Satish Mande, Cantonment Board’s Vaishali Kenekar, Gauri Mirashi, city engineer A B Deshmukh and deputy commissioner (Solid waste Management) Ravindra Jogdand attended the press conference.

Second International Award

Restoring the glory and beautification of the Kham River has indeed put the city on the international map with the award. The competition featured participation from 148 cities across 62 countries, with five cities selected, including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Another competition will take place in London on October 31, with 140 cities participating, from which the final three cities will be chosen. Australia, Scotland, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar from India are in the running.

Future Plans for Sukhna River

Sreekanth expressed pride in the international accolade and recognition received for the river project through a unique partnership and focus on ecology & engagement. The restoration of the Sukhna River will also be undertaken in a similar manner in the coming days, he said.