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Delhi’s own waterfront – expected to be along the Sabarmati River – is expected to come up at the site of the controversial Millennium Bus Depot.
Delhi Governor VK Saxena said on Wednesday at the Asita East redeveloped ghat that there are plans to create a water embankment at the now defunct depot “without disturbing the river and the floodplain much”.
The Millennium Bus Depot came into being before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, but was later closed as it was built on the Yamuna flood plains and its construction was in violation of the norms, which state that no concrete or permanent structures can come up in the sensitive area. However, the structures that were built are still standing.
Saxena said that all rules would be followed while developing the water bank. The project will be managed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), chaired by the LG. According to DDA officials, since concrete structures are already there in the depot, there will be no other construction that violates norms.
Saxena, meanwhile, said that the development of the waterfront will take several years and that the project is in the design stage. “Once the design is ready, it should be a matter of 2-3 years,” he said.
For the past two years, DDA has been working on the development of the river bank and has undertaken 10 projects, of which work is underway at 8 am. Recently, a delegation of envoys/diplomats of G20 nations visited the reconstructed Asita East ghat, where they also cycled around the road.
While part of the reconstructed ghat consists of manicured lawns, a footpath made of interlocking tiles, a cycle track, a parking lot, a gathering place and a selfie spot; the 90-hectare area also has watersheds, riverine grasslands and ecology, which according to DDA officials, has been home to migratory birds.
It has restored a wetland of about 2.5 hectares and planted 4,000 native trees from the floodplain ecosystem and about 3.35 million riparian grasses.
According to DDA officials, work on the other seven parks is also in full swing.
“Although a small part of Asita East consists of well-kept gardens, that is not the goal. We are not making parks. Development of ghats is on an ecological basis. Part of Asita West is also partly neat. But by and large, we are developing planted areas where grasses and trees and shrubs are carefully selected and native to the area and the river’s ecosystem,” the official said.
Officials also said that they had taken a conscious decision not to proceed with neat developments in future projects.
“It has been a learning process. We have made mistakes and corrected them. We know that well-kept gardens are not ideal for river ecosystems,” he said.
DDA officials believe that with the new development, the participation of the people of Delhi will increase and encroachment can be controlled as people will become stakeholders in the maintenance of the development.
The LG, meanwhile, said the reconstructed ghats will serve as a place for public gatherings.
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