In a first-of-its-kind river-restoration push, IIT-Kanpur (IIT-K) will lead a new blueprint to revive the Ganga using declassified images from America’s Cold War–era CORONA spy satellites (1965) alongside modern satellite data from 2018–19. The project is being undertaken with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the Uttar Pradesh government to build an evidence-backed plan for restoring the river’s flows and floodplains.

In order to gain a better understanding of the river's transformation, IIT-K researchers have declassified 1965 photos from the Corona satellite data to chronicle notable changes in the river's morphology, flow patterns, and land use over the last 50 years.

In order to provide vital information for well-informed decision-making at the local, regional, and national levels, the project will also create interactive digital displays for nine important locations: Haridwar, Bijnor, Narora, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Bhagalpur, and Farakka.

Environmental experts say this approach also strengthens climate resilience. With more frequent flood-drought extremes, restoring the Ganga’s natural floodplains can reduce disaster risks while replenishing groundwater and supporting biodiversity.

India has used declassified spy images before for geology and archaeology, but this is the first time they are being applied on such a large scale for river restoration and policy-making. For IIT-K, it is both a scientific challenge and a legacy project, as the Ganga continues to be central to India’s culture, economy, and spirituality.