1st International Conference on ‘River Health: Assessment to Restoration’(RHAR 2019)

Taking the scientific spirit and recommendations of Ganga River Basin Management Plan (GRBMP) 2015 forwards, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT (BHU) Varanasi thought of ‘making our rivers healthy and happy’ as its Centenary Vision in 2019. Accordingly, the 1st International Conference on ‘River Health: Assessment to Restoration (RHAR)’ was organized during Feb. 14-16, 2019. Five broad themes discussed in greater details in (RHAR 2019) included: Riverine processes, Drivers of river health, River health monitoring, River health indexing, River health restoration.

2nd International Conference on ‘River Health: Assessment to Restoration’ (RHAR 2021)

In order to bring smaller rivers on health restoration agenda, (RHAR 2021) focused on “Talks of the Tributaries: Rivers Varuna and Assi in the Middle Ganga Basin”. The objective was to collect, compile and comprehend all the facts and figures related with these tributaries which are important and helpful in their health restoration. The post conference effect is that four leading academic institutions of the country in this region, IIT Kanpur, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, IIT Roorkee and BBAU Lucknow have joined hands to help and guide one of the largest working Departments of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) engaged in creating jobs and employability close to soil, water and rivers. The Government has embarked upon preparing a roadmap to rejuvenate 75 small rivers of the state in first phase with scope to increase the number subsequently.

3rd International Conference on ‘River Health: Assessment to Restoration’ (RHAR 2023)

A deeper analysis of river health condition indicates two facts: (1) due to large and unsustainable surface and ground water extractions in many parts of the river basins, there is water stressed conditions, which require source augmentation, and, (2) cities along the course of rivers put high quantitative and qualitative stress on them. For river health restoration programs to be effective and sustainable, the water stressed regions need to be developed as ‘water positive’, and urban catchments need to be modeled as ‘water smart’ centers. Hence the theme of (RHAR 2023) was decided as “Moving towards Water Positive Regions (WPR) and Water Smart Cities (WSC)”. The deliberations and outcomes of the summit are supposed to add substantial values for improvements in the water management of around more than two dozen smart cities spread across four States of India, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. Simultaneously, we identified the areas of stresses for our rivers to flow continuously in healthy conditions. We need to work on them.

4th International Conference on ‘River Health: Assessment to Restoration’ (RHAR 2025)

In order to focus on small rivers, Government of India has established a dedicated center for small river rejuvenation, named as ‘Smart Laboratory of Clean Rivers (SLCR)’ under the Indo-Danish collaboration initiatives. The SLCR is located at Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi, and provides a platform for knowledge creation and exchange, management and transfer/cocreation, training, research and innovation. SLCR is developed to design, test and learn from social and technical innovation in real-time, bringing global and local sustainable solutions for rejuvenation of small rivers. The collaboration is a mutual sharing of technical knowledge and expertise between both the countries.

Rivers are inherently multidimensional systems, encompassing a wide range of interrelated components that span hydrology, water quality, wastewater management, water supply, river morphology, aquifer interactions, riparian ecosystems, biodiversity, and socio-economic dynamics. A river is not just a channel that carries water—it is a dynamic, living system that reflects the health of the entire watershed. For any holistic river rejuvenation initiative to succeed, it is crucial to address each of these dimensions in an integrated and coordinated manner. Small rivers constitute a substantial portion of river networks. Despite their relatively modest size, these small streams wield a considerable influence downstream. They act as ecological lifelines that sustain biodiversity, regulate hydrological cycles, and support local communities by replenishing groundwater and ensuring the availability of clean water. However, their significance is often underestimated in policy and planning frameworks, leading to inadequate legal protections and a heightened vulnerability to alteration or obliteration due to land use pressures (Palt et al., 2022). The degradation of small rivers disrupts not only local ecosystems but also impairs the functioning of larger river systems they feed into.

The role of unregulated contaminants such as microplastics, persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals in aggravating the health of rivers is often less known and rarely talked about. Small rivers have been potentially burdened with severe emerging contaminant loads. However, due to the lack of regulations, the emerging contaminants are seldom monitored or managed and hence, their impact on humans and the river environment is never well understood. Advancements in detection and technologies and evolution of the policy landscape will likely change this scenario in the near future. A meticulous inquiry of these challenges is warranted to understand the emerging trends in the holistic health assessment of small rivers.

Rivers are multidimensional systems influenced by diverse stakeholders—governments, communities, researchers, and industries. Sustainable and resilient river rejuvenation requires transparent communication, shared responsibilities, and long-term collaboration. The theme of the 4th International Conference on ‘River Health: Assessment to Restoration’ (RHAR 2025) is “Restoration of Small Rivers: Application of Advanced Tools and Technologies with Convergence of Policies and Programs,” emphasizing the integration of science, technology, and governance to maximize impact. This convergence is vital for restoring small rivers, which are often overlooked but essential to watershed health and ecological balance.