Lessons from Kham, for Bengaluru

In a city quite different from Bengaluru, a river began to breathe again. Aurangabad (now Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar) may not be known for active citizen movements, scientific institutions, innovators, or the scale of CSR funding that Bengaluru sees – but when viral videos of a cleaned-up river flowing through the city began circulating, it caught our attention.

Bengaluru has no shortage of initiatives to revive its water systems – large public STPs, decentralised treatment plants, citizen-led solid waste efforts, and lake and well restorations. Many organisations and not-for-profits have been working to map river systems, gather data, and advocate for change. However, despite all this, our rivers remain in distress. Referred to as mori or nala, they are mostly forgotten or seen as drains.

That’s why the Kham river’s transformation sparked hope and curiosity. Visuals of clean river stretches prompted us to reach out to EcoSattva, the eco-consultancy that is the driving force behind Kham’s revival. In April,
we spent two days in Aurangabad learning from their efforts. We were glad to see the Kham, a seasonal river, flowing lean in the summer months without any visible trash.

Kham’s revival began with a detailed drone study to map the problem – identifying where the waste was entering the river and addressing it at source or through treatment. Solid waste traps were installed, untreated sewage was rerouted to existing STPs, a modular plant was added, and settling ponds helped manage minor sewage inflows. When textile waste emerged as a major pollutant, a recovery facility was set up to tackle it upstream.

Alongside this, EcoSattva worked across city wards to streamline solid waste collection with the help of Safai Saathis and an MRF centre. Their experience in waste management helped scale up the effort. An awareness campaign “Takatak”-- Marathi for clean and thriving – spread the message that managing wet, dry, and hazardous waste properly is key to a better city. Leadership played a crucial role. Then municipal commissioner Astik Pandey didn’t just sign off on the plan – he joined the clean-ups and walked the river. On the ground, retired officer Asadullah Khan appointed by Pandey led desilting operations with a five-member team and an earth-mover. He also repurposed stones from the construction debris to pitch the riverbanks – a low-cost, effective solution.

Citizens were at the heart of it all. They showed up in large numbers for the Saturday clean-ups and planting drives. Soon, they began referring to the river as aapli Kham (our Kham), a reflection of renewed ownership. Eco-parks were built in former dump sites and walking paths were created along the river using recycled debris – spaces that now encourage people to reconnect and take pride in their river.

While much of the revival of Kham has focused on stretches within the city, challenges continue downstream. The river flows over 70 km, and the work is far from over. But what stands out is the shift towards seeing and treating the river as a whole. The project now extends to 20 villages along the river’s path – MoUs with panchayats are set to help improve waste management systems and facilitate planting drives. In Narayanpur, one such village, we saw what this looks like on the ground. The villagers proudly showed us a detailed record of recent efforts, while ASHA workers led us through clean streets lined with painted hygiene messages. It was a quiet but powerful reminder – when communities take ownership, change takes root.

Bengaluru needs a perspective shift

Kham’s revival happened at just 3% of what many river restoration projects cost. So, if budget isn’t the problem, what is? Bengaluru already has a lot going for it: active citizen groups, committed government officials, and judicial orders that, if implemented, can stop pollution at source. What we need now is not more scattered projects or infrastructure-heavy solutions that don’t address root issues. We need to pause, assess what’s working, what’s missing, and act with clarity.

Perhaps the most important shift is this: to stop seeing the city as just roads and buildings and begin recognising it as part of living river systems – the Arkavathi and the Dakshina Pinakini. That perspective matters.

Kham reminded us that restoration is possible. Many of the elements are already in place for Bengaluru. What’s needed is for them to come together – for our rivers. That is the hope we carried home.

(The writer is a co-founder of Paani.Earth)