New Delhi, Oct. 20 -- Walking and cycling tracks, sports grounds and recreational spaces could line the Yamuna in Delhi as the government moves ahead with plans for a Sabarmati-style riverfront, with Water Minister Parvesh Verma saying the project's model could become visible within the government's current term.

The Delhi government has initiated the process for a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation to draw on Ahmedabad's riverfront development model. Consultants are also being hired to guide the project, which will be implemented in two phases.

The first phase will cover the stretch from Palla to Wazirabad, while the second will extend from Wazirabad to Kalindi Kunj near the Okhla barrage. The government plans to complete the first phase before moving ahead with the second, using it to showcase the proposed riverfront's overall design.

Verma said the aim was to develop a clean, green and accessible public space where residents could undertake morning walks, practise yoga and spend leisure time.

"If everything proceeds as planned, the model of the riverfront will be visible to the people of Delhi within the government's current term," he said.

The proposed riverfront will include cycling and walking tracks, sports facilities and open recreational areas. Verma recently visited Ahmedabad's Sabarmati riverfront along with officials from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department to study its features and identify practices that could be adapted to Delhi's requirements.

The riverfront proposal is being linked to the government's sewage treatment and Yamuna rejuvenation efforts. According to Verma, 28 of Delhi's 37 sewage treatment plants have been upgraded over the past 18 months, while new plants are being developed to add 250 million gallons per day (MGD) of treatment capacity.

The minister said the government expected the Yamuna to become visibly cleaner within around two-and-a-half years.

The river runs for approximately 52 km through Delhi, with the 22-km stretch between Wazirabad and Okhla identified as a key focus area for rejuvenation. The government aims to advance river cleaning alongside riverfront development.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.