Riverfront project gets Cabinet nod

The State Cabinet on Wednesday approved the multi-crore Sabarmati riverfront development project, which envisages overall development of a 9-km stretch of the river bed - from Subhash Bridge to Vasna barrage.

Chief Minister's spokesman I.K. Jadeja said the Government had decided to allot 162 hectares to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for the project that envisages conservation of environment and overall development. Responding to a query, Jadeja said the project will be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs. 300 crore in the next three years, adding that the Government will only allot the land.

The project will be implemented by the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation set up by the AMC.

Jadeja said at present there are encroachments on about 10 per cent of the 400 acres, ith nearly 7,000 hutments having come up on both sides of the Sabarmati. Hutment-dwellers who are affected by the project will be resettled on land reclaimed by the AMC and will be provided with basic amenities.

Giving details, Jadeja, also the Urban Development Minister, said the AMC had already earmarked initial funds of Rs 5 crore for implementing the project, which will be a model project to be developed on the lines of ones found in Malaysia, UK, China and Belgium.

The Environmental Planning Collaborative (EPC), a consultancy firm, has designed the project.

The Minister said the project will not only help recharge ground water and create recreational facilities for its citizens, but will also strengthen the existing transport network in the city and contain recurring floods in the Sabarmati.

The groundwater meets at least 42 per cent of the total drinking water needs of Ahmedabad.

According to an estimate, the water table in the city has been depleting by 2.5 m every year. Under the project, a road on the river's eastern bank side has been proposed.

The project also envisages to develop two more informal markets (Gurjaris), one on the eastern bank near Gandhi Bridge and the second on the western bank near Usmanpura, in addition to the two existing on the bank.

These markets, which will have infrastructure like permanent stalls, parking slots, drinking water and public toilets, will generate employment for about 14,000 people, he said.

Republished from The Indian Express