Delhi master plan floats Ridge-Yamuna Park connector, cycling trail

The proposed Master Plan for Delhi-2047 (MPD-2047) envisages a 200-kilometre-long Ridge-Yamuna Park Connector in an attempt to create an integrated network of green and recreational spaces linking the city’s Ridge areas with the Yamuna and its floodplains, while promoting walking and cycling along the river

The proposed Master Plan for Delhi-2047 (MPD-2047) envisages a 200-kilometre-long Ridge-Yamuna Park Connector in an attempt to create an integrated network of green and recreational spaces linking the city’s Ridge areas with the Yamuna and its floodplains, while promoting walking and cycling along the river.

The plan includes a 52-km cycling network along the floodplain (Photo for representation)

The so-called “connector” is part of a broader package of measures proposed for the rejuvenation and ecological restoration of the Yamuna, the document states. The plan includes a 52-km cycling network along the floodplain and aims to strengthen what it calls the “Ridge-Yamuna continuum”, according to the MPD-2047 approved by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on August 12 and accessed by HT.

The plan also proposes that, “wherever feasible”, 75-100-metre-wide public greenways be developed along the river’s embankments. These would include walking and cycling trails and spaces for passive recreation, providing greater public access to the river and adjoining green spaces.

“The proposed park connector is therefore envisaged not merely as a cycling route but as a larger network of ecological and public spaces connecting the Ridge, parks and the Yamuna floodplain,” said an official aware of the plan.

These projects are aimed at restoring wetlands, natural depressions, floodplain ecosystems and biodiversity, while improving climate resilience and groundwater recharge. They include biodiversity parks already being developed by DDA, such as Asita, Yamuna Vatika, Kalindi Biodiversity Park, Amrut Biodiversity Park and Mayur Biodiversity Park, among others.

The plan proposes de-silting existing wetlands and restoring them to improve their ability to hold floodwaters. Natural depressions would also be deepened and developed into storage basins to increase floodwater storage. These areas would be complemented by floodplain forests and grasslands planted with native riverine species.

A “green buffer” comprising riverine vegetation is also proposed along the river’s edge, wherever possible, to help protect the riverbank and strengthen the ecological character of the floodplain.

The plan’s emphasis on non-motorised movement along the river comes as DDA has separately been working on a cycling corridor along the Yamuna. DDA’s cycling project, which received approval from the National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s principal committee in 2026 after modifications to the proposed alignment, is planned in phases. The first phase covers a stretch between the Old Railway Bridge and National Highway-24.

Environmental experts, however, have previously cautioned that recreational infrastructure on the floodplain needs to remain compatible with its role as a natural flood-storage area.

Yamuna activist Diwan Singh has argued that even cycling tracks in sensitive parts of the floodplain can become problematic if they involve construction or pave the way for additional activities. “If any activity beyond biodiversity parks is allowed, this will open the floodgates to many activities in the future. Similarly, concretised or tiled ghat also disturb the slope of the river and any such disturbance in the name of floodplain restoration should be seen carefully,” Singh said.

Infrastructure and landscaping in the floodplain should use flood-resilient native vegetation and avoid impermeable surfaces that could affect natural hydrology, Singh added.

The master plan’s proposal places the Ridge-Yamuna connector within a wider ecological restoration framework involving wetlands, storage basins, native vegetation, green buffers and non-motorised trails. However, proper implementation is the key challenge while ensuring that public access and cycling infrastructure do not compromise the floodplain’s ability to absorb excess water or lead to further alteration of its natural landscape.