Delhi LG: Sabarmati-like makeover plan for Yamuna riverfront

Referring to the work done by the DDA in developing Asita East where the LG hosted G20 diplomats on March 5, Saxena said that the city needs more such open and green eco-friendly recreational spaces which are easily accessible to the public

Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Wednesday said that a waterfront on the lines of Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad is being planned along the river Yamuna near the Millennium bus depot.

Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena. (HT Photo)

He added that the details of the plan are being worked out and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) -- the nodal agency for the Yamuna Riverfront rejuvenation project -- will soon appoint a consultant for the proposed project. Saxena is the chairperson of DDA.

“A Sabarmati Riverfront-like waterfront will be developed along the Yamuna. It will come up near where the Millennium bus depot was located. The project is in the nascent stage. Its design and other details are being worked out. The DDA will then appoint a consultant for the project.” Saxena said

Referring to the work done by the DDA in developing Asita East where the LG hosted G20 diplomats on March 5, Saxena said that the city needs more such open and green eco-friendly recreational spaces which are easily accessible to the public. The Asita East project involved restoring the Yamuna floodplains in an area of 197 hectares, 90 hectares of which belongs to DDA and is situated along the Vikas Marg in east Delhi. The remaining land is owned by Uttar Pradesh irrigation department.

When asked if the proposed waterfront will have development on both sides of the river like Sabarmati Riverfront, the LG said, “The area already has some portion where constructions had been done, but there will be no further permanent constructions. We will develop the area as per the norms. The waterfront will come up adjacent to the New India Garden (which is being developed as part of the Central Vista Redevelopment project by the Central Public Works Department).”

According to senior DDA officials, the plan is to develop the site as a green area. “There will be no concrete construction in accordance with the National Green Tribunal’s directions. This will be in continuation to the development work proposed at the New India Garden, site for which is located near the depot. There is already a bund constructed at the site, so no new construction will be required. A presentation in this regard was made before Union ministry of housing and urban affairs,” the officials said.

The DDA is building cycling tracks, walkways and eco-trails along the 22km area between Wazirabad Barrage and Okhla Barrage. The entire stretch has been divided into 10 projects, each spread over 90 hectares and more, the officials added.

The project to restore the riverfront was conceived following a National Green Tribunal order in 2015. The work on the riverfront, DDA officials said, started in 2017 and was monitored by the NGT-appointed Yamuna Monitoring Committee that was set up in 2018. DDA officials said that the restoration work on the 22km-stretch in Delhi has been planned as per the committee’s directions.

Manoj Misra, convener of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan, said that the site where the Millennium depot was constructed is part of the floodplain. “The NGT has already said that it is floodplain. The paving done on that stretch and the structures constructed should have been removed. A bund was constructed after the depot was developed. The existing construction on the floodplain should not be used as an excuse to create anything fancy. It will be illegal and also immoral. The floodplain must be restored to its natural state.”