The National River Conservation Directorate under National River Action Plan has short-listed eight towns at Karnataka with an objective to initiate action plans to prevent pollution of major rivers, so as to improve the water quality of the rivers in their pollution stretches to the best class. The Board is the nodal agency for implementation of schemes taken under NRAP. The  eight towns spanning the banks of two basins namely Cauvery and Krishna (Thunga, Bhadra and Tungabhadra) are:

1.  Nanjangud 

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Cauvery basin

2.  K.R.Nagar 

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3.  Srirangapatna 

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4.  Kollegal  

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5.  Shimoga          -      Tunga 

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 Krishna basin.

6.  Bhadravathi     -       Bhadra    

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7.  Davangere       -      Tungabhadra 

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8.  Harihar             -     Tungabhadra 

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The National River Conservation Directorate is  a wing of the Ministry of  Environment & Forest , Government of India , empowered to apprise and clear the projects prepared by the field level agencies to release the funds and co-ordinate on various activities under the action plans.

The NRCD vide sanction order No.J.39012/11/95, dated 23.8.95 accorded the administrative approval for various pollution abatement schemes for the ninth action plan towns in karnataka, amounting to Rs. 25.72 Crore. 

This scheme is implementing  under two schemes, Core Scheme and Non-Core Scheme :

Core Schemes  (being implemented by KUWS and DB)

-   Interception and diversion of domestic sewage including construction and rehabilitation of sewers and pump-houses. 

-   Construction of new sewage treatment plants with an emphasis on resource recovery. 

Non-Core Schemes (being implemented by respective CMC's/TMC's)

-   Low cost sanitation (community toilets).
-   Installation of wood based crematoria.
-   Construction of bathing ghats.
-   Afforestation.
-   Public awareness.
-   Solid waste management

-    Maintenance of schemes is the responsibility of State Government.