Rajamahendravaram: The cityscape of Rajamahendravaram is poised for a significant transformation through its association with the River Cities Alliance (RCA) programme, according to Commissioner Ketan Garg.

Following an invitation and directives from the Commissioner, a team from the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) conducted an inspection of the city on Thursday.

Commissioner Garg explained that the RCA is an ambitious programme aimed at developing cities situated along riverbanks.

He stated that this initiative is jointly undertaken by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the NIUA. Launched on November 25, 2021, by the then Union Minister of Jal Shakti, the programme has so far garnered membership from 146 cities.

For the development of these cities, the NMCG and NIUA have jointly formulated the Urban River Management Plan (URMP). This plan provides comprehensive strategies necessary for sustainably managing the riverine environment within the cities.

Commissioner Garg highlighted that the cities like Kanpur, Ayodhya, Bareilly, Moradabad, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar are already successfully implementing the URMP framework with technical assistance from NMCG and NIUA.

Over the course of two days, the NIUA team, accompanied by officials from municipal administration, revenue, forest, tourism, RUDA (Urban Development Authority), and PHED (Public Health Engineering Department), toured the city.

The team inspected more than 15 key river-related sites. Following the site visits, a multi-stakeholder meeting was held with officials from all relevant departments.

The NIUA team recognised Rajamahendravaram as a suitable location for developing the riverine environment, according to the Commissioner. He expressed confidence that in the coming days, Rajamahendravaram will become even more beautiful and an exemplary city through the implementation of the URMP.