Delhi’s Riverfront To Be Developed On Lines Of Sabarmati, Delhi Govt May Sign MoU With Sabarmati Corporation

Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma has initiated an agreement with the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited to transform a 52-kilometre stretch of the Yamuna River.

The ambitious project seeks to convert inaccessible riverbanks between Palla and Kalindi Kunj into public spaces featuring walking tracks, sports grounds, and green parks. Officials confirmed that consultants are being hired to prepare the design blueprints, with execution planned in two phases.

Phase One Focuses on Northern Entryway

The first phase covers the stretch from Palla to Wazirabad and will serve as the prototype for the larger development. The second phase will target the heavily polluted 22-kilometre urban segment from Wazirabad to Kalindi Kunj near the Okhla barrage.

"We want this project to become visible to Delhi residents during our current term," Water Minister Parvesh Verma stated after visiting the Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad with officials from the Delhi Jal Board and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department.

The initiative draws direct technical inspiration from Gujarat's capital, where the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL) turned an urban riverbed into an accessible public corridor.

How the Sabarmati Engineering Model Works

Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati project relies on five core structural strategies to maintain a continuous waterfront:

• River Channelisation: Continuous concrete diaphragm walls fixed the river's fluctuating width to a uniform 263 metres along an 11.5-kilometre stretch.
• Land Reclamation: Channelisation reclaimed over 200 hectares of riverbed. Around 80 to 85% of this land went to public parks and roads, while 15 to 20% was set aside for commercial leasing to fund maintenance.
• Sewage Diversion: Twin interceptor pipelines laid beneath lower promenades capture raw sewage outlets and divert wastewater straight to treatment facilities.
• Water Level Control: The downstream Vasna Barrage holds water year-round, supplemented by water from the Narmada Canal network during dry months.
• Two-Tier Promenades: Lower promenades serve pedestrians and cyclists at water level, while upper promenades connect directly to city road networks and parks.

Local Hydrological Realities Present Adaptation Hurdles

Adapting Gujarat's structural template to the national capital requires addressing distinct environmental conditions. The Yamuna carries significantly higher monsoon flood volumes and features an active, ecologically sensitive floodplain compared to the controlled, low-flow conditions of the Sabarmati.

To handle these conditions, Delhi is prioritising sewage infrastructure alongside spatial design. The city is expanding treatment capacity by 250 million gallons per day (MGD) across its network.

Out of Delhi's 37 sewage treatment plants, 28 have undergone upgrades over the past 18 months. Authorities target 100% sewage treatment across all channels emptying into the river, projecting visible improvements in Yamuna water quality within two and a half years.