Sabarmati Riverfront Project

The Sabarmati Riverfront project is an environmental improvement, social upliftment and urban rejuvenation project that will renew Ahmedabad. The project aims to reclaim the private river edge as a public asset and restore the city’s relationship with its river. The Riverfront project presents a great opportunity to create a public edge to the river on the eastern and western sides of Ahmedabad. By channeling the river to a constant width of 275m, riverbed land has been reclaimed to create 11.25 kms of public riverfront on both the banks. The total land reclamation is 202.79 hectares. The Narmada Canal located towards the north of the city channels water into the Sabarmati, which is retained in the river because of the existing Vasna Barrage. Hence, the traditionally monsoon-fed Sabarmati is able to hold and replenish water year-round.

The first objective of the project is to effectively manage the river as critical infrastructure. The riverfront development includes major interceptor sewer lines on both banks of the river, capturing more than 38 sewage discharge points and routing sewage to newly-commissioned treatment plants south of Vasna barrage. Both banks of the river have diaphragm walls built into the riverbed at a depth of more than 10m, and retaining walls which protect low-lying areas from periodic flooding. The Sabarmati has been channelized to a constant width without altering the flood carrying capacity of the river.

Earlier image of the River

A key feature of this project is a two-level, continuous promenade on both sides of the river. It is built just above the water level to serve only pedestrians and cyclists and to provide access to the water. The upper promenade is being built to host a variety of public features: cultural and educational institutions, leisure activities, large public parks and plazas and a few areas for commercial and retail development.

The Sabarmati Riverfront project sets new standards for public projects. The project is designed to maximize the use of reclaimed land for public purposes. The Riverfront will upgrade 18 precincts, revitalizing the heart of Ahmedabad and leading the city’s future growth. The Riverfront project is completely self-financed through the sale of a small percentage of reclaimined land for commercial and retail space, sufficient enough to generate resources to pay for developing the riverfront and managing it.

The Sabarmati Riverfront is designed to shape Ahmedabad’s future as a city oriented towards residents’ needs and poised for responsible, inclusive growth. As a usable central artery, the river will likely revolutionize the development of Ahmedabad as an urban center and raise the threshold for city planning.

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