Delhi plans Yamuna riverfront project on lines of Gujarat’s Sabarmati model, with parks, cycle tracks and sports grounds
The Delhi government plans to develop the Yamuna riverfront in two phases, from Palla to Wazirabad and from Wazirabad to Okhla barrage, and is preparing to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation to study Gujarat’s riverfront model, PTI reported.
Water Minister Parvesh Verma said on Monday that the government was hiring consultants for the project and had moved a proposal to sign the MoU.
“We are currently hiring consultants for the Yamuna riverfront. It will be developed in two phases — the first from Palla to Wazirabad and the second from Wazirabad to Okhla barrage. We have moved a proposal to sign an MoU soon,” Verma said.
The government plans to develop cycle tracks, walking tracks, sports grounds and other recreational spaces along the river, drawing on the Sabarmati Riverfront model.
“If all goes well, before the next election, the model of the riverfront will be visible to the people of Delhi, and lakhs of Delhi residents will be able to do yoga, take walks and enjoy the space,” Verma said.
Yamuna to take 2.5 years to become visibly cleaner
Verma said the Yamuna would become visibly cleaner only after about two-and-a-half years, when several sewage treatment plant (STP) upgradation projects are completed and the city’s sewage treatment capacity reaches 100%.
Of Delhi’s 37 existing sewage treatment plants, 28 have been upgraded over the past one-and-a-half years, he said. However, a gap of 250 million gallons per day (MGD) remains in sewage treatment capacity, for which new plants are being constructed.
“The Yamuna’s water is still not clean today because, out of our 37 existing sewage treatment plants, we have upgraded 28 in the past one-and-a-half years. But there is still a gap of 250 million gallons per day (MGD) in sewage treatment capacity, for which new plants are being constructed,” Verma said in a statement.
The Yamuna flows for 52 km through Delhi. Of this, a 22-km stretch between the Wazirabad and Okhla barrages is heavily polluted and has been the focus of several planning and policy initiatives, according to the PTI report.
Delhi looks to Gujarat’s riverfront model
Earlier, Verma visited the Sabarmati Riverfront in Gujarat on a study tour with officials from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department.
The Delhi government plans to study the Sabarmati model and adapt its practices to local requirements as it seeks to create a clean, green riverfront along the Yamuna.
In August, Verma had said the government was working on developing the Yamuna riverfront along the lines of the Sabarmati project. He had outlined plans for parks, cycle tracks and sports grounds along the river, as well as a grand Chhath Ghat at Kalindi Kunj, estimated to cost ₹60 crore.
Verma had also said the government was considering relocating dhobi ghats and introducing mechanised laundry machines, following the approach adopted in Gujarat.
