Institution Name: Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi
Event Type: International Conference
Conference Name: 4th International Conference on River Health: Assessment to Restoration(RHAR 2025)
Theme: Restoration of Small Rivers: Application of Advanced Tools and Technologies, with Convergence of Policies and Programs
Conference Start Date: 30-10-2025
Conference End Date: 01-11-2025
Conference Organizing Department: Department of Civil Engineering
About Conference:
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.
Topics Covered:
Eight broad domains of discussion include:
- Application of Advanced Technologies for Wastewater Treatment
- Application of Advance Tool and Techniques for Data Collection & Monitoring
- Groundwater Management for Small River Rejuvenation
- Holistic Approaches for Small River Rejuvenation
- Decision Support System & Models
- Monitoring of Emerging Contaminants in Small Rivers and Challenges for their Remediation
- Documentation and Convergence of Policy, Programs, Community participation & Capacity building
- Other Contemporary Research Domains
Topics under domains may include (but not limited to)
Application of Advanced Technologies & Techniques for wastewater treatment & management
- Restoring Urban Streams through Wastewater Interventions
- Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems
- Nature based Solutions for Wastewater Treatment
- Blue-Green Infrastructure for Resilient Water Systems
- Reuse of STP Effluent
- Pollution Load Reduction Strategies and Point vs. Non-point Source Control
Application of Advance tool and techniques for data collection & monitoring
- Real-time Tracking of Water Quality Parameters
- Early Warning Systems for Pollution or Habitat Degradation
- Smart IoT based Monitoring Systems for Urban Drainage and Pollution Control
- Application of Advanced Instruments for Water Quality Parameters, ex ICP-MS
- Non-Targeted Analysis
- Biological Indicators and Biomonitoring of River
- 3D Modelling and UAV based Techniques
- Non-invasive tracking of aquatic species
Groundwater dynamics & management for small river rejuvenation
- Groundwater Modelling for Scenario Planning and Risk Assessment
- Integrated Ground Water Management for River Rejuvenation
- Tools like MODFLOW, HEC-RAS and SWAT to assess Restoration Scenarios
- River-Aquifer Exchanges and Tools
- Simulation of Natural Flow Regimes and Flood Dynamics
- Sustaining Baseflow: Groundwater’s Role in River Systems
- Recharge Strategies under Changing Climate and Land Use
- Community-Based Groundwater Stewardship and Monitoring
- Addressing Groundwater Contamination at Source and Scale
Holistic approaches and real field cases for small river rejuvenation:
- Nature-based Solutions for Soil and Water Conservation
- Land Use Planning and Sustainable Agriculture Practices in Catchments
- Erosion Control and Sediment Management Strategies
- Ecological Flow Assessment and Maintenance
- Restoration of Riparian Zones and Aquatic Habitats
- Linking Water Quality Improvements with Biodiversity Enhancement
- Assessment of Ecological Health and Recovery Post-Restoration
- Case Studies demonstrating convergence in action: Real-world success stories of coordinated efforts in river rejuvenation, showcasing collaborative efforts
Decision Support System and Models:
- Integration of Multidisciplinary Data for Planning and Stakeholder Engagement
- Scenario Analysis for Sustainable Management Strategies
- Scenario Modeling and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
- Stakeholder-driven Decision-Making Frameworks using DSS Tools
- Predictive Modeling for Erosion, Pollution Load, and Flow Patterns
- Decision-Making Support for Site Prioritization and Intervention Design
Monitoring of Emerging Contaminants in small rivers and challenges for their Remediation
- Monitoring of Emerging contaminants, like Microplastics, Persistent Organic Pollutants,
- Heavy Metals in small rivers
- Advanced Technological Tools for Detection and Analysis of Emerging Contaminants
- Policy Landscape for Regulation of Emerging Contaminants in India
- Remediation Techniques and Strategies for Emerging Contaminants in the Context of Small River Systems
- Fate and Transport of Emerging Contaminants in Small Rivers, Role of Riparian Ecosystems and their Degradation Mechanisms
- Bioaccumulation of Emerging Contaminants and their Effect on Riverine Ecosystems
Documentation and Convergence of Policy, Programs, Community participation & Capacity building
- Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) for Small Rivers: Planning catchment-wide actions with community-based and ecosystem-centered approaches
- National Missions and Flagship Programs: Finding opportunities in national initiatives like Jal Shakti Abhiyan, MGNREGS, Atal Bhujal Yojana, Catch the Rain, PMKSY, and Namami Gange for small rivers restoration
- Roles of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies: For planning, executing, and monitoring restoration work with accountability for small rivers and water bodies
- Financing Models for Small River Restoration: Exploring models for pooling financial resources from government schemes, CSR, PPPs, and climate finance for sustainable river rejuvenation
- Institutional Mechanisms for Multi-sectoral Coordination: Establishing formal structures for inter-departmental and inter-institutional collaboration across sectors impacting river ecosystems
- Policy Innovations and Regulatory Frameworks: Developing enabling laws, norms, and guidelines to support river-friendly land use, ecological flows, and integrated water governance
- Community Participation and Social Accountability: Engaging communities through participatory processes, traditional knowledge, citizen science, and local monitoring systems
 Other Contemporary Research Domains
- Water Balance Status in Urban Centres under Smart Cities Mission of India
- Visions, Initiatives, and Success examples towards Water Smart Cities
- Case Studies of Storm Water Management, Reclaimed Water Reuse, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR)
- Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and Circular Economy
- Drinking water contaminants, Evaluation of sorbents or catalysts for removal of common contaminants
- Valorization, bioremediation, disinfection, and reuse
- Ecological Risk Assessment of Rivers, Lakes, etc.
- Ecological indices of river health and conceptual frameworks on world rivers
- Exemplary initiatives and success examples of river restoration studies
- Groundwater monitoring and modelling, R-A exchanges, landfill leachate effects etc.
Workshop of BRIDGE Project: Technologies in Water Safety
- UiT and the participating organizations in BRIDGE Project will share the experiences gained in their collaborative research work and highlight the concerns and socio-economic challenges of implementing emerging technology such as microbial fuel cell (MFC) in Water Safety.
Registration Fee:
| Early Bird (Till Sep. 30, 2025)* | After Sep. 30, 2025** | |
| Indian Industry Partners/ Research Organizations | INR 10000 +18 % GST= INR 11800 | INR 12900 |
| Indian Academicians | INR 6000 +18% GSTÂ Â Â =INR 7080 | INR 7800 |
| Indian Students | INR 2500 +18% GSTÂ Â Â = INR 2950 | INR 3250 |
| International Industry Partners/ Research Organizations/ Academicians | US$ 300 + 18% GST Â Â Â = US$ 354 | US$ 390 |
| International Students | US$ 150 + 18% GST    = US$ 177 | US$ 195 |
- Registration fee includes access to all sessions of the conference, a digital copy of conference proceedings and lunch.
- Registration Fee is exclusive of bank charges, if any. Such additional charges will be paid by the participant.
- Including GST/VAT.
- Name of the Account Holder -Registrar, IIT (BHU), Varanasi
- Complete Address – Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India – 221005, Ph: +91 542 2307002, 2367780
- Name of the Bank -State Bank of India
- Account Number –32778803937
- AC Name – IIT (BHU)-Main Account (Institute Development Fund)
- Type of Account – Current
- IFSC CODE:Â SBIN0011445(Domestic delegates may use this code for NEFT Transfer)
- MICR Code: 221002036
- SWIFT Code:Â SBININBB125Â (International delegates may use this code)
- Bank Address – State Bank of India, IT-BHU Branch, Branch code-11445, IIT(BHU) Varanasi-221005, UP, India, Ph-0542-2369181
Important Dates:
- Opening of RHAR 2025 Website: June 15, 2025
- Opening of RHAR 2025 Abstract Submission Portal :July 01, 2025
- Acceptance of Abstracts and Start of Early Bird Registration: August 01, 2025
- Abstract Submission Deadline for Oral and Poster Presentations: August 31, 2025
- Deadline for Submission of Full Papers; September 30, 2025
- End of Early Bird Registration; September 30, 2025
- Notification for finalized speakers in the Conference; October 15, 2025
- Final Schedule Notification: October 25, 2025
- Dates of the Conference: October 30 – November 01, 2025
Contact Us:Â
Venue:
Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University)
Swatantrata Bhawan, BHU Varanasi
Conference Brochure: Click here
Conference Website: Click hereÂ
About the Institute: The institute completed its 100 years in 2019, and we wish to take forward the legacy with rejuvenated vigor and sheer dedication with a commitment to nation building. The Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) Varanasi owes its existence to Bharat Ratna Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, the founder of the first residential University of modern India, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), who could foresee the vital role of technical education in strengthening independent India. Engineering education in BHU started in 1919 with the establishment of Banaras Engineering College (BENCO). The next stage of development saw the establishment of College of Technology (TECHNO) and College of Mining & Metallurgy (MINMET). In 1968, the erstwhile engineering colleges of BHU, namely BENCO, MINMET, and TECHNO, were merged to form the Institute of Technology (IT-BHU). IT-BHU had been admitting students through the JEE conducted by the IITs since 1972. The erstwhile IT-BHU was ranked consistently amongst the top engineering institutions of the country. IT-BHU became IIT (BHU) Varanasi on June 29, 2012, by an Act of Parliament. Following its conversion to IIT, the Institute has quickly established procedures and practices as per the standards of IITs.
About Department: The Civil Engineering Department was established in 1949 (then known as Civil and Municipal Engineering) in BENCO (Banaras Engineering College) which was a part of BHU. The formal sanction of the Visitor of the University to create this Dept. was received in 1956 and the B.Sc Engineering (Civil & Municipal) Degree was recognized by the Govt. of India in 1958. The department was rechristened to the present name in the year 1975. Presently, it caters its student with various Post Graduate courses like Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, Structural Engineering, and Transportation Engineering. The department has taken up various research programmes apart from regular teachings and the research activities, namely CSIR, UGC, SAP, HUDCO, DST and AICTE.
