PWD seeks a unified Yamuna riverfront in Delhi, akin to Sabarmati

The Delhi public works department (PWD) has asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to integrate all 11 of its ongoing floodplain projects along the Yamuna river into a single, continuous riverfront stretch, officials said on Wednesday. The directive follows a high-level meeting last week and aligns with the Delhi government’s broader plan to replicate Gujarat’s Sabarmati riverfront model in the capital.

Also Read: Weakened flow is killing the Yamuna

The proposed stretch spans approximately 22 kilometres—from Palla in the north to Okhla in the south—and covers over 1,500 hectares owned by the DDA. Since 2021, the land has been developed under individual projects as biodiversity parks, ghats, eco-tourism sites, and heritage zones. The PWD is now pushing for a cohesive layout.

“As of now, these are fragmented developments with different themes. We’ve asked DDA to integrate them into a unified stretch—ideally a 122km pathway along the Yamuna, using eco-friendly materials like gravel for public access,” said PWD minister Parvesh Verma.

Also Read: Dredging of Yamuna in Delhi to be undertaken after over a decade

The Yamuna flows through Delhi for about 52 kilometres, from Palla in the north to Jaitpur in the south. Of this, the DDA is currently undertaking restoration and rejuvenation work along a 22-kilometre urban stretch between the Wazirabad and Okhla barrages. Spread across both the eastern and western banks, this corridor has been divided into 11 development zones covering a total area of 1,503.28 hectares.

Also Read: Projects worth over ₹3K-cr approved for Yamuna clean-up in Delhi

The projects on the eastern bank of Yamuna include Asita from Old Railway Bridge to ITO Barrage, Amrut Biodiversity Park from new railway line to Nizamuddin Bridge, Yamuna Vanasthali from Wazirabad Barrage to ISBT Bridge, Mayur Nature Park from Nizamuddin Bridge to DND Flyway and Hindon Sarovar from Nizamuddin Bridge to DND Flyway.

On the western bank, key projects include Kalindi Aviral (Nizamuddin Bridge to DND Flyway), Kalindi Biodiversity Park (DND Flyway to Kalindi Bypass), Yamuna Vatika (Old Railway Bridge to ITO Barrage), Vasudev Ghat (Wazirabad Barrage to Old Railway Bridge), and the Ecotourism Area (Geeta Colony Bridge to ITO Barrage). Additionally, a new riverfront stretch is planned between New India Garden and Nizamuddin Bridge.

“It would be great to integrate the projects and have a continuous stretch, but difficult to achieve,” said a DDA official, asking not to be named. “Over the years, much of the Yamuna floodplains have been encroached upon and it is a long and tedious process to reclaim the land. In many cases, people file complaints and cases and there are over 1,000 cases going on in different courts related to floodplain encroachment,” said the official.

The National Green Tribunal was recently informed by the DDA that almost 1459 acres of encroached land was reclaimed for rejuvenation. The official said the various projects are progressing at different paces.

Work is nearing completion on several key segments, including Asita East, Amrut Biodiversity Park, Mayur Nature Park, Baansera (a section of Kalindi Aviral), and Vasudev Ghat. Among them, the 90-hectare Amrut Biodiversity Park—formally inaugurated last month—features six water bodies, around 14,500 trees of various species, 18,000 shrubs, and over 3.2 lakh riverine grasses.

Diwan Singh, water expert and environmental activist, said no concretisation or use of heavy machinery should be permitted during the integration project, warning it could damage floodplain soil and native vegetation. “If they simply remove invasive species and leave the floodplains alone, nature will restore itself. Only native riverine grasses should be planted — not ornamental species,” he said, adding that recharging the ‘O’ zone must be the priority. Singh cited the Yamuna Biodiversity Park as a model of successful natural eco-restoration.