Sabarmati Riverfront

The Sabarmati Riverfront is a remarkable civic infrastructure project that has revitalized the Sabarmati River and added many recreational areas along its banks.

This colossal project aims for environment improvement of the Sabarmati River by reducing erosion of the banks and flooding of low-lying areas of the city by constructing walls on both banks of the river, sewage treatment and ensuring the river does not become a dry bed in the hot months.

The project also encompasses the development of social infrastructure along the riverfront by creating a huge public space. The project also aims for sustainable development along the Sabarmati.

The idea of redeveloping the areas along the Sabarmati River was envisaged to overcome the seasonal nature of the river that would swell and flood the surroundings during the monsoon and become a dry riverbed in the hot months. The first plans were suggested in 1961 by Bernard Kohn, a French-American architect, educator and urban planner.

The idea emerged again in 1997 when Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) set up the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd (SRFDCL), a special purpose vehicle, in May 1997 funded by the Government of India.

The Sabarmati Riverfront is a huge public space that encompasses recreational facilities like parks and gardens, event venues, promenades, ghats, markets, food zones, children’s play areas and other developments.

The roads along both banks offer an easy movement of traffic. These roads with their carriageways have decongested some of the thoroughfares of Ahmedabad. The waterside promenade offers a walking stretch of more than 11 km on each side of the river. Along the riverfront road, are public parks, gardens, footpaths, parking bays and cycle tracks.

The parks along the riverfront have become venues for large scale events like the International Kite Festival and the Annual Flower Show. The riverfront has also become a centre for sports like marathons and cycling events.

The Events Ground has a lawn spread over 40,000 square metres that can host over 50,000 people.

Exhibition centres and other facilities are being constructed along the riverfront.