The tender process for two segments of the Mula-Mutha river restoration project has been finished, and bids will be opened this week. In the next few days, the local body is expected to issue a work order, with preparations to lay the foundation stone in a big ceremony.
The proposal, which was inspired by Ahmedabad's Sabarmati riverside and approved in 2016, calls for the development of 44 kilometers of waterfront, including 22.2 kilometers of Mula river, 10.4 kilometers of Mutha river, and 11.8 kilometers of Mula-Mutha river.
The proposal, which was inspired by Ahmedabad's Sabarmati riverside and approved in 2016, calls for the development of 44 kilometers of waterfront, including 22.2 kilometers of Mula river, 10.4 kilometers of Mutha river, and 11.8 kilometers of Mula-Mutha river.
The Rs 4,727-crore initiative aims to clean up and pollution-free the rivers. Other goals of the project include reducing flood danger, making the entire riverside accessible to the public, retaining water, integrating existing heritage structures, and providing recreational, religious, and socio-cultural activities along the riverfront.
The PMC wants to build 11 new sewage treatment plants with a capacity of 396 million liters per day (MLD), 113.6 kilometers of sewers, and 24 communal toilets as part of the proposed project.
With 33.9 km of rural riparian, 38.8 km of urban riparian, and 19.8 km of engineered sections, the civic body plans to ensure 79 percent of green embankments to reduce the risk of flooding.
The local body intends to build 50 new ghats, in addition to the 20 already in place, and propose 270 new river access points, in addition to the 53 now in place, to make the river more accessible to the general people.
In areas near the river, the project will also result in significant improvements in road infrastructure. The riverbed roads from Mhatre bridge to Deccan bus stop and Shaniwar peth to Shaniwarwada would be completely destroyed, while alternate routes would be improved to handle the vehicular traffic. Vikram Kumar, the municipal commissioner, stated, “We have proposed new roads for better connectivity on either side and across the river while removing few roads in the riverbed.”
The project would entail the acquisition of 768 hectares of property, including 687 hectares of river land, as well as 81 hectares of land to provide continuous embankments along the river.
The official said, “The project mitigates flood, improves river health by intercepting the sewage, and defines river edge. In places, where thin slivers of land become available, these are sensitively used for augmenting and increasing public parks, gardens, amenities, and infrastructure. There will be cycle tracks for pedestrians and cyclists.”
Environmentalists, on the other hand, are opposed to the project, claiming that it will devastate the environment and increase flooding. ”The city is already a flood-prone area so what is the need for a river beautification project. Is the civic administration working under some pressure to implement the project?” environmentalist Sarang Yadwadkar said.
The state water resources department put the onus on the PMC after Yadwadkar expressed concern about anticipated floods caused by the project.
The water resources department said recently, “We are once again conveying that the PMC should ensure that there should be no obstacle in the flow of river water. The water carrying capacity of the river should not be reduced and there should not be any changes made to the river. If there is an obstacle to the flow of river water then the water resource department would take action against the work.”
“Also, the local civic body would be solely responsible for the loss of life and property due to possible floods due to the development work in prohibitive and restrictive zones of the river”, it said further.
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