Condition Assessment and Management Plan (CAMP)
The “Condition Assessment and Management Plan (CAMP)” is a notable initiative of National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD), Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Conservation (Do WR, RD & GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), Government of India, aimed at guiding the management strategies for six major rivers in the country. This program involves twelve premier technical educational institutions, which will contribute to shaping these strategies. The rivers covered under this plan are the Mahanadi, Narmada, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, and Periyar. For each river, two prominent institutions within the basin states are responsible for conducting research, monitoring, and gathering technical data for condition assessment and management planning. The selected institutions include IITs, NITs, and NEERI.
In line with the Upanishadic concept of ‘Ekoham Bahusyam’ (the expansion of one into many), the CAMP project has established dedicated centers for each river, modeled after the Center for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga) led by IIT Kanpur. These centers are:
– cMahanadi: NIT Raipur and NIT Rourkela
– cNarmada: IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Indore
– cGodavari: NEERI Nagpur and IIT Hyderabad
– cKrishna: NIT Warangal and NITK Surathkal
– cCauvery: IISc Bangalore and NIT Trichy
– cPeriyar: IIT Palakkad and NIT Calicut
cGanga is overseeing and coordinating the basin management efforts for all six rivers, ensuring a cohesive approach to river management across the country.
The Center for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies, led by IIT Kanpur, played a key role in developing the Ganga River Basin Management Plan. The implementation of this plan has significantly improved the condition and direction of the Ganga River Revival Campaign, which utilized a bottom-up approach and is eventually recognized by UNESCO as one of the ten best global campaigns. This success prompted the decision to extend a similar approach to managing other major river basins in the country. By involving educational institutions in the planning process, the initiative aims to strengthen the technical foundation of the campaigns and ensure a comprehensive management strategy.
