Indore is intensifying efforts to restore two of its most critical urban water bodies as authorities push ahead with an ambitious Kahn–Saraswati river rejuvenation programme aimed at tackling pollution, improving flood management and transforming neglected riverbanks into functional urban spaces. The initiative focuses on reviving the Kahn and Saraswati rivers, which flow through Indore and eventually join the Kshipra river near Ujjain. Years of untreated sewage discharge, encroachments and uncontrolled urban expansion had reduced large sections of these waterways to polluted drains. City officials say the new programme aims to restore the ecological health of the rivers while integrating them into the city’s long-term urban infrastructure planning.
A major component of the Kahn–Saraswati river rejuvenation effort involves large-scale sewage management upgrades. Under a project supported by the National Mission for Clean Ganga, more than ₹511 crore has been allocated for pollution abatement, including the construction and expansion of sewage treatment plants (STPs) designed to prevent untreated wastewater from entering the rivers. The infrastructure plan includes high-capacity treatment facilities of 120 MLD, 40 MLD and 35 MLD, along with upgrades to existing plants and the creation of a treated water reuse network. These facilities are intended to intercept sewage flows before they reach the river system, allowing treated water to be reused for non-potable purposes such as irrigation and landscaping. Urban planners say the project is also addressing long-standing encroachment issues along riverbanks. Authorities have initiated detailed mapping exercises—including drone surveys—to identify illegal constructions located within 30 metres of the rivers’ flood-level boundary, which obstruct natural water flow and increase flood risks. Identified structures are expected to be removed in phases, with affected residents being relocated through government housing schemes. Beyond environmental cleanup, the project includes plans for riverfront development aimed at integrating ecological restoration with urban public spaces. Proposals envision landscaped riverbanks, pedestrian walkways and recreational areas designed to reconnect residents with waterways that had long been inaccessible due to pollution and encroachment. Urban development agencies also see the initiative as an important step toward climate resilience. Healthy river systems play a crucial role in managing stormwater flows and reducing urban flooding, particularly in rapidly expanding cities where natural drainage channels have often been altered by construction and infrastructure development. The timing of the restoration programme is also linked to a larger regional concern. The Kahn river ultimately feeds into the Kshipra river in Ujjain, which hosts the Simhastha religious gathering expected to draw millions of pilgrims in 2028. Ensuring that wastewater from Indore is treated before reaching downstream river systems has therefore become an environmental and public health priority.
Indore’s river rejuvenation plan reflects a broader shift in Indian urban planning, where cities are beginning to treat rivers not merely as drainage channels but as ecological infrastructure capable of improving water quality, climate resilience and public space. If implemented successfully, the Kahn–Saraswati river rejuvenation initiative could transform two of Indore’s most degraded waterways into functional urban ecosystems—offering cleaner water, improved flood management and new public landscapes for a rapidly growing city.
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Indore River Rejuvenation Plan Targets Urban Water Revival
