Delhi government readies MoU for Sabarmati-style Yamuna makeover

The proposed project will cover Delhi’s 52-km stretch of the river in two phases, from Palla to Wazirabad and then from Wazirabad to Kalindi Kunj.

The Delhi government has initiated the process of developing a Sabarmati riverfront-like project along the Yamuna, with water minister Parvesh Verma saying on Tuesday that the government is working towards signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL).

In May last year, union home minister Amit Shah had announced that the Yamuna riverfront project in the national capital will be developed along the lines of the Sabarmati riverfront. (ANI)

The proposed project will cover Delhi’s 52-km stretch of the river in two phases, from Palla to Wazirabad and then from Wazirabad to Kalindi Kunj, with plans for parks, cycle tracks, open spaces and sports facilities along the river. A consultant is also being hired to take the project forward, Verma said.

“SRFDCL will guide us in overcoming the hurdles encountered during the execution of the Sabarmati project and help us with the no-objection certificates (NOCs) and infrastructure development required for a similar riverfront along the Yamuna,” he said.

Key features of the project

Modelled after Sabarmati riverfront

“If all goes according to plan, Delhiites will be able to experience the riverfront model before the next election. They will be able to spend time along the river, walk, practise yoga and participate in several other activities,” he said.

In May last year, union home minister Amit Shah had announced that the Yamuna riverfront project in the national capital will be developed along the lines of the Sabarmati riverfront in Gujarat, and completed within a set timeline.

The government’s plan follows a visit by Verma and officials from the irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to the Sabarmati riverfront in August to study the model and understand the challenges involved in replicating it in Delhi. “We saw that all the issues that existed in the Sabarmati riverfront 25-30 years ago are the same issues we face in the Yamuna in Delhi currently,” Verma had said during the visit.

The Sabarmati Riverfront project was initiated by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), which established the SRFDCL as a special-purpose vehicle in May 1997 with seed capital of ₹1 crore from the Centre. Environmental Planning Collaborative (EPC), led by architect Bimal Patel, prepared the project’s feasibility report in 1998.

Flooding and river ecology

Initially proposed over a 10.4-km stretch, the project was expanded in 2003 to cover 11.25km, involving the reclamation of 202.79 hectares. Construction began in 2005, but the project faced delays over concerns related to water levels, flooding and the rehabilitation of displaced slum dwellers. Parts of the waterfront began opening to the public in 2012 under its first phase.

However, environmentalists have also raised concerns about its ecological sustainability. The proposed Yamuna project will have to address similar questions on flood management, river ecology and the development of infrastructure along the floodplain.

Yamuna originates from the Yamunotri glacier in the Himalayas (Uttarakhand) with its end point in confluence with the Ganga at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj.

The 22-km stretch of the Yamuna from Wazirabad to Okhla in Delhi is only 2% of the river’s length but contributes the most to its overall pollution load.

Verma said the government aimed to bridge the treatment-capacity shortfall of 250 million gallons per day (MGD) over the next two-and-a-half years.

“We cannot say that Yamuna will become clean in six months, one year or 1.5 years. It will start getting relatively better in 1.5 years, and people will see drastic change in 2.5 years when all these treatment plants and projects are completed,” he said.