Sabarmati Riverfront
Sabarmati Riverfront is a waterfront being developed along the banks of Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, India. Proposed in the 1960s, the construction began in 2005. Since 2012, the waterfront is gradually opened to public as and when facilities are constructed and various facilities are actively under construction. The major objectives of project are environment improvement, social infrastructure and sustainable development. Geography. The Sabarmati river is a monsoon-fed river which has a total catchment area of . The Dharoi Dam constructed in 1976 upstream of Ahmedabad controls water and protects from flooding while Vasna Barrage constructed in 1976 downstream  retains water in the river along the city banks and diverts it through Fatehwadi canal for irrigation. The Narmada Canal, which crosses Sabarmati a few kilometres upstream from the city, is part of a larger canal network of Sardar Sarovar Dam. The canal can feed excess water to the river and maintains the level of water in the river which is retained through Vasna Barrage. History. The first proposal for developing the riverfront was presented in 1961 by the prominent citizens of the city. French architect Bernard Kohn proposed an ecological valley in Sabarmati basin stretched from Dharoi Dam to  Gulf of Cambay in the 1960s. In 1964, he proposed an "Integrated Planning and Development of Sabarmati Riverfront" by reclaiming of land. The project was considered feasible in 1966 by the Government of Gujarat. Later he distanced himself from the project citing the difference between his proposal and the project being implemented. In 1976, the Riverfront Development Group proposed an incremental approach for the construction. In 1992, the National River Conservation Plan proposed construction of sewers and pumping stations to reduce water pollution. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) set up the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd (SRFDCL), a special purpose  vehicle, in May 1997 funded by the Government of India with a seed capital of for the riverfront development. Environmental Planning Collaborative (EPC) led by Bimal Patel prepared the feasibility report in 1998. Initially the proposal was to construct the riverfront to cover a stretch of stretch from Subhash bridge to Vasna barrage and to reclaim of the riverbed. In 2003, the project extended to cover an stretch and reclamation of and was put on fast track. The project estimated to cost which was to be recovered by selling of a part of reclaimed land for commercial and residential purpose . Bimal Patel-led HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd, Ahmedabad was roped in as the main architect of the project. The project encountered several delays due to concerns regarding water level, flooding, rehabilitation of displaced slum dwellers and the opposition from the activists involved with slum rehabilitation. The construction began in 2005. The heavy engineering, land reclamation and sewage system was completed at the cost of . The long lower promenades on both banks are completed and some of its section were opened to the public on 15 August 2012. It was inaugurated by then state Chief Minister Narendra Modi . The waterfront is gradually opened to public as and when facilities are finished. Various facilities are actively under construction since then. Total were spent on the project by 2014. By November 2019, the were spent. The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan visited Sabarmati riverfront with prime minister of India Narendra Modi on 17 September, 2014. Riverfront. The average width of the river channel was and the narrowest cross-section . It is uniformly narrowed to without affecting its flood carrying capacity and the riverbed land is reclaimed on the both east and west banks to construct long  riverfront. It can hold without spillage. The total of of land is reclaimed. The reclaimed land is used for public as well as private development. More than 85% of the reclaimed land proposed be used for public infrastructure, recreational parks, sports facilities and gardens while nearly 14% proposed be used for commercial and residential purpose. It improves environment by reducing erosion of the banks and flooding of low-lying areas of the city by the walls constructed on the both banks. The new integrated sewage and storm-water system intercepts 38 former sewage and industrial effluent discharge points and route  it to sewage treatment plants south of Vasna Barrage. It enabled the groundwater recharge and the recreational facilities like boating in the river. There are also plans to replenish river by treated sewage water. Streets. The roads along the both banks are constructed for the easy movement of traffic along north-south direction. They are constructed with footpaths, parking bays, carriage ways and cycle tracks. The roads leading to river are strengthened for better movement and access. The West River Drive decongestants the Ashram Road and has RoW. The East River Drive provides better north-south access to east part  of the city and direct road to airport. It has RoW. Recreation and amenities. The two-level promenade is planned and the lower promenade is already constructed. These promenades provide continuous long walkway along the river on the east side and on west side. The width of the promenade varies from 6 to 18 metres. The 31 Ghats are constructed at regular interval along the lower promenade for access to the water. The boating stations are constructed for recreational purpose and for water-based public transport in the future. Three such stations are open. The Events Ground is an event  ground with infrastructure facilities. It serves as open venue for variety of purpose and revenue source for the project. The lawn is spread over and can host over 50,000 people. The laundry campus with seven blocks opened in February 2014. It has washing areas on the ground level and drying facilities on the terraces. Fourteen public utilities are constructed. The Sabarmati Ashram will be also connected to lower promenade and existing steps will be developed as an amphitheater. The 3.3 ha Heritage Plaza along the city walls between Ellis Bridge and Nehru Bridge will be designed as open space showcasing  heritage, history and culture of the city. Some sports complexes are also proposed. Nearly 26% of the reclaimed land will be used for the parks and gardens to enhance environment and for public recreation. Some parks are already constructed and expanded while others are under construction and proposed. The 6 ha park near Subhash Bridge built at the cost of . It is spread over an area of 60,000 sq m, has of a lotus lake, amphitheatre, stepwell and 2-km long walkway. It was opened in October 2013. The 1.8 ha park near Usmanpura were opened in October 2013. The  5 ha Riverfront Flower Park, spread over 45,000 sq m, houses 330 native and exotic flower species. It was constructed at the cost of and opened in March 2016. The children's park near Dafnala is opened in 2019. The 10.4 ha urban forest is built in Paldi which is divided in two parts by Ambedkar Bridge. The north part serves as garden while the south part is a biodiversity park. It will cost . The Riverfront Biodiversity Park, spread over two hectares land, houses around 7000 trees of over 120 species and 35 species of native as well as migratory  birds such as boot-headed eagle, egrets, ibis, white-throated kingfisher, purple swamphen and sparrows. Some species of butterflies and snakes are also there. The SRFDL used the Miyawaki method of plantation with five saplings per square metre of land. It planted around 70,000 saplings on land between Ambedkar bridge and Sport Club. The 0.9 ha amusement park is also proposed near Dadhichi bridge. The 1.4 ha Peace Garden at Khanpur is proposed as a park as well as location for concerts and outdoor performances. In 2018, a steel foot overbridge (pedestrian bridge) was approved connecting both banks at a  cost of . It will be long and to wide. The design is inspired by kite festival organised in the city. , it is under construction. Several markets, vending areas, business and event grounds are planned. "Ravivari" or "Gujari Bazar", the informal Sunday Market held under Ellis Bridge is moved to the new location near Gaekwad Haveli. The open air market has function arrangement of zones and 1641 platforms for vendors. It was opened to the public in February 2014. The 5.7 ha Exhibition Centre, a trade-fair facility, is proposed on the eastern bank of the river. The 0.5 ha plaza  at Vallabhsadan is also proposed as a market along upper promenade. Three sports complexes are proposed; at Paldi (7.1 ha) for city-level sports, at Pirana (4.2 ha) for informal sports and at Shahpur (2.3 ha). Residential and commercial development. It is planned to use nearly 14% of the reclaimed land for residential and commercial purposes. Total 52 buildings will be constructed including eight museums. For maximum usage of land, the floor space index (FSI) has been raised up to 5. The funds raised by selling the land will recover the cost of the construction and sustain the management of  the riverfront. All construction will have to follow certain design guidelines. Four of these 42 proposed buildings will be 101 metres tall. In 2017, the SRDFL attempted to sell the development rights of the land but failed. In 2020, the SRFDCL appointed JLL India to monetise around land which is valued . The SRFDCL office complex was constructed at the cost of in 2015. Future. The Phase 2 of the project proposed an extension of the riverfront towards north, 5.4-km on east side and 4.3-km on west side. It also proposed 180 high-rise residential buildings as well as  commercial buildings on the reclaimed land. In 2019 state budget, total was provisioned for Phase 2. Culture. The riverfront is featured in several Gujarati as well as Bollywood films. It hosts several annual events like Sabarmati Marathon, Sabarmati Cyclothon, flower shows, International Kite Festival and airshows. Its continuous promenade attracts runners and fitness enthusiasts. It also hosts trade shows, exhibitions and private wedding events. Criticism and controversy. The peak discharge in the Sabarmati in August 2006 was between 260,000 and , which caused floods that washed away hundreds of hutments. However, Gujarat state irrigation department measured a peak flow of in  1973, before construction of Dharoi dam. So the project is criticized for lower capacity of . There are also concerns regarding perennial status of the river as it depends on the Narmada canal for water. The project was delayed several times due to issues regarding relocation and rehabilitation of more than 10000 slum dwellers along the river banks. After petitions by activists, the Gujarat High Court intervened and ordered to stop demolition of slums until proper planning is implemented. The relocation and rehabilitation is completed later and faced criticism of activists for delays. Around 5000 families were relocated. Recognition and impact . Several other cities planned to follow the model for riverfront development including Vadodara, Surat, Pune, Varanasi, Chennai, Noida.