AHMEDABAD, DEC 24: If everything goes right, by 2010, the Sabarmati flowing through the city will be a perennial river with absolutely no dirt or illegal activity on its bed. It will have shopping complexes and four lane roads running along both banks, interspersed with gardens, houses and markets.At least that is what is being envisaged by the core committee of the Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL) which concluded a five-day seminar to review the progress of the project on Saturday.And if the project does come through, Ahmedabad will be the first city in the country and only the second in Asia to have made use of the riverfront in a scientific and environment friendly manner.While the BJP and Congress might harbour differences over other civic works, there is a total consensus as far as this project is concerned. Mayor Himmatsinh Patel, project chairman Nandlal Vadhwa of the BJP, former deputy mayor Surendra Patel, standing committee chairman Badruddin Shaikh jointly stated on Saturday that all would work together to ensure that the project is completed at the earliest.Even the State Government, which owns the land that has to be reclaimed from the Sabarmati bed, has given its consent for use of the land. As of today, a socio-economic survey of the slum dwellers residing on the river bed has been completed and Rs 180 crore spent on the project, in charge CEO Kanubhai Shah, who is a retired deputy municipal commissioner, said. Recently, the project received funds of Rs 1.2 crore from the AMC and another Rs 61 crore from the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB), he added.French architect Bernard Kohn, who was among the first few who conceptualised the project in the 60s, said today that while any major planning project takes at least a decade to come through, it is very heartening that everybody concerned, including rival political parties, are working together for its completion. ``If this comes through, it will really change the face of this city,'' he remarked.Mayor Himmatsinh Patel, while clarifying his party's stand on the slum dwellers' issue, said the Congress had demanded that slum dwellers should not be relocated to a place where they cannot carry on their work. ``According to the plan, the slum dwellers will be given houses with drainage and water connections and these will owned by them,'' Patel said, welcoming the project. The survey conducted so far regarding slum dwellers reveals that there are around 10,000 but the number could be more.Project chairman Nandlal Vadhwa, however, said that the committee was open-minded about changes in the master plan with changing circumstances. ``Periodic evaluations will take place,'' he added.Architect Bimal Patel said the river, which was presently 500 metres wide at some places and 200 metres at other places, will be made 275 metres wide uniformly and the rest of the land can be reclaimed. Further, sewage lines will be laid all along the nine-km stretch, he said.The officials, however, admitted that the project would take time to complete.The Sabarmati River Front Development Project * First conceived in the 1960s, the project was confined to a few concerned individuals until 1997, when the AMC set up the Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL).* The project is likely to be completed by 2010 and is expected to cost about Rs 777 crore.* Till date, the designing of the river front and a socio-economic survey of the slum dwellers residing in the river bed has been completed, and Rs 180 crore spent so far.* The corporation aims at reclaiming about 162 hectares (400 acres) of river bed land, making the river width equal throughout the nine kilometre stretch between Subhash Bridge and Vasna Barrage.* Seven new gardens, extension of two existing gardens, driveways along the river, markets, commercial and residential premises and other facilities like schools and fire station proposed.
