The Delhi Government is planning to develop along the Yamuna Riverfront in two phases, with plans to create large parks, cycle tracks, open spaces and sports facilities along the river. The Rekha Gupta government is all set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation to replicate Ahmedabad’s celebrated riverfront model in the capital.
The 52-km stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi will be divided into two phases, with Wazirabad serving as the midpoint. The first phase will cover the stretch from Palla to Wazirabad, while the second will extend from Wazirabad to Kalindi Kunj.
According to PWD minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, the first phase will be completed first and will serve as a showcase of what the full riverfront will look like. “If all goes to plan, the model of the riverfront will be visible to the people of Delhi within the government’s current term. He said the aim is to give the city a clean, green, world-class riverfront, with lakhs of residents able to come for yoga, morning walks and leisure,” he said.
Verma had recently toured the Sabarmati riverfront with Delhi Jal Board and Irrigation and Flood Control officials. He said the Delhi government will adopt Sabarmati’s best practices while tailoring them to local needs. The minister said the Yamuna will become visibly cleaner in about two and a half years. Of Delhi’s 37 sewage treatment plants, 28 have already been upgraded in just 18 months, and new plants are coming up to add 250 MGD of capacity, taking the city to 100% sewage treatment.
The 22-km stretch of the Yamuna from Wazirabad to Okhla in Delhi is only 2 percent of the river’s length but contributes the most to its overall pollution load.
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 Rs 1 crore from Govt of India.