Delhi to get its riverfront along Yamuna by June 30 next year
Besides this, according to officials, Phase 1 of the cycle track linking different floodplain projects is to be finished by October 31 this year.
Cleaning up the Yamuna and restoring its floodplains were a major poll issue during Delhi's elections. The BJP had claimed that the previous AAP government was unable to clean the river, despite spending thousands of crores on it. It promised in its poll manifesto that if it came to power, the river would be cleaned up and a riverfront would be developed along the lines of the Sabarmati riverfront in Gujarat.
In the last two months, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have held separate meetings regarding cleaning the river.
The Indian Express had earlier reported that the riverfront, to be developed at the site of the erstwhile Millennium Park Bus Depot near Sarai Kale Khan, will come up on a 200-metre stretch.
A central piazza, a topiary park, a local shopping centre along the lines of that in the Sunder Nursery, along with two parking areas and a river promenade, will come up over an area of 25 hectares. The piazza will host cultural events and there will be provisions for seating, fountains, statues and gardens, according to officials.
The riverfront project is part of the DDA's plan to redevelop the 22-km river stretch between Wazirabad and Okhla barrage.
The restoration and rejuvenation plan is divided into 11 different types of contiguous projects. Five of these, such as the Asita East and Kalindi Aviral, have already been developed; the rest are under various stages of development.
The cycle link proposal, which is planned to link all existing floodplain projects, will be 21 km long on the western bank and 30 km long on the eastern bank. Officials said the cycle track will be developed as a green mobility corridor on both sides of the river. Officials have yet to provide details on how much of the project, which is slated to be completed in five months, falls under Phase 1 of the track.
Senior government officials had earlier told The Indian Express that linking all 11 projects via walkways and cycle tracks is a major challenge. 'The projects are contiguous. The ultimate plan is to link all of them, but it is very challenging, not only because several parts of the floodplain are encroached upon, but also because other existing projects can come in the way of the linkage,' an official had said.
Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh had discussed linking all floodplain projects in a meeting with DDA officials in May.
The cycle track is likely to be made out of jute carpeting. Just last month, the DDA had announced that it would be using jute carpeting for all cycling tracks and pathways in its Yamuna projects, as it leads to dust mitigation and soil preservation.
Devansh Mittal is a trainee correspondent with The Indian Express. He studied political science at Ashoka University. He can be reached at devansh.mittal@expressindia.com. ... Read More
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