The city of Ahmedabad was founded on the banks of the river Sabarmati by Ahmed Shah in 1411 A.D. As is true for cities across the world, the river became Ahmedabad’s lifeline for centuries. However, over time, as the city grew, the natural course of the river was encroached upon and the riverbed served as a backyard for private plots. Unrestricted flow of industrial and domestic waste polluted the river, making it unsafe for people living nearby in informal settlements. These settlements were already prone to flooding during the monsoon.
The Sabarmati Riverfront Development (SRFD) Project, now under implementation, started in 1996 with a feasibility report and a concept plan. An innovative self-financing method was proposed to generate revenue and reduce the burden on the government. A separate company called the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation was created for execution of the project.
The SRFD Project not only provides protection to the city from flooding but also reclamation of land. More than 85% of the land made available by the riverfront development is allocated for free and open public use. This includes more than 20 km of pedestrian promenades on each bank and a 29 km long road network that has made the riverfront easily accessible and well connected to the surrounding areas and the city as a whole. People of the city now enjoy water-related recreational activities and get access to lush green parks and gardens which constitute about 50% of the reclaimed land.
The SRFD project boosts social and traditional activities in the heart of Ahmedabad. A well-organized Dhobi Ghat (facilities for washer men) incorporating 168 formal washing spaces and a Riverfront Market (Local Sunday Market) for about 1600 local vendors of the city has been developed as a part of the project. More than 10,000 families living in deliberated conditions of flood-prone riverbed have been rehabilitated in formal housing, under direct supervision of the High Court of Gujarat. The project has also led to broader transformation of the surrounding areas such as the central districts along Ashram Road and many adjacent precincts.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Start Year: 1997
The city of Ahmedabad was founded on the banks of the river Sabarmati by Ahmed Shah in 1411 A.D. As is true for cities across the world, the river became Ahmedabad’s lifeline for centuries. However, over time, as the city grew, the natural course of the river was encroached upon and the riverbed served as a backyard for private plots. Unrestricted flow of industrial and domestic waste polluted the river, making it unsafe for people living nearby in informal settlements. These settlements were already prone to flooding during the monsoon.
The Sabarmati Riverfront Development (SRFD) Project, now under implementation, started in 1996 with a feasibility report and a concept plan. An innovative self-financing method was proposed to generate revenue and reduce the burden on the government. A separate company called the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation was created for execution of the project.
The SRFD Project not only provides protection to the city from flooding but also reclamation of land. More than 85% of the land made available by the riverfront development is allocated for free and open public use. This includes more than 20 km of pedestrian promenades on each bank and a 29 km long road network that has made the riverfront easily accessible and well connected to the surrounding areas and the city as a whole. People of the city now enjoy water-related recreational activities and get access to lush green parks and gardens which constitute about 50% of the reclaimed land.
The SRFD project boosts social and traditional activities in the heart of Ahmedabad. A well-organized Dhobi Ghat (facilities for washer men) incorporating 168 formal washing spaces and a Riverfront Market (Local Sunday Market) for about 1600 local vendors of the city has been developed as a part of the project. More than 10,000 families living in deliberated conditions of flood-prone riverbed have been rehabilitated in formal housing, under direct supervision of the High Court of Gujarat. The project has also led to broader transformation of the surrounding areas such as the central districts along Ashram Road and many adjacent precincts.