Thesis 0.

31 – 2020 //
Bachelor of Architecture

‘INFLUX’-YAMUNA RIVERFRONT
DEVELOPMENT

Harshi Garg

sushant
school of
art and
architecture

Thesis 0.31 – 2020 // June 1, 2020

Synopsis
Final year Thesis Project

Sushant School of Art and Architecture

Ansal University
 Thesis 0.31 – 2020 //
Thesis Title : ‘INFLUX’ - Yamuna Riverfront Development

Introduction :

Rivers are an inherent part of the development of the human settlement. They have
been fundamentally involved in the process of settlement location and its continuous
formation.

The greatest civilizations of the world have formed and flourished along the banks of
rivers. Whether it was the Egyptian civilization along the Nile River or the Indus valley
civilization, rivers have been vital as the providers of water for sustaining life as well
as the agrarian societies. Thus strong relationships existed between man and rivers,
the latter often being revered as Gods, not only in ancient times but till date. From
daily activities to religious ceremonies, fairs and festivals, the river formed an integral
part of human life.

Monuments developed along the banks of the river. Delhi’s oldest city, Indraprastha,
dating to the Mahabharata era (circa 1450 BC), to the great Mughal city of
Shahjahanabad (1638–1649), all were set with the Yamuna and other water bodies as
their backdrop. The major monuments of the city of Delhi present strong evidence of
the relationship of the past cities with the river. However with the 20th century and
modernist city planning paradigms, the river was considered more as a functional
component rather than recreational, with which the masses had no everyday
connection. The city faced its back to the river.

Today, with the abysmal state of drainage and solid-waste management of the city,
the Yamuna has become a huge drain carrying the waste of this mega city. Millions
of rupees have been spent by successive governments in order to clean the river, but
to no significant change in the situation. The spaces around the river are also rather
‘lost spaces’ with either agricultural fields, derelict power stations, stadiums or
memorials.

With very high densities in the residential areas, it has to be realized that Delhi is in
dire need of a large public open space. The study aims at reconnecting the city to the
river not only metaphorically, but to establish physical linkages and improve the
quality of the environment and create opportunities to activate the riverfront.
 Thesis 0.31 – 2020 //
Research Problem :

The present day world is facing a number of problems which are of our own creation
and negligence. The environmental damages are caused by people, mushroom
growth of industries creating lots of problems leads to the depletion of the natural
resources.
The rivers are drying up because of depleting water resources. The groundwater
levels along the river course are dropping at an alarming state. Most of the modern
rivers in India are severely polluted due to irresponsible attitude and
mismanagement by the people. Relationship of the people with the rivers, and with
other kinds of water sources is rapidly deteriorating owing to the fact that there is no
direct dependence for water supply on the local water sources.
Delhi is blessed with a total river length of 22 km. The growth of the city over time
reflects the significance of the Yamuna river as the city’s development began and
continued to extend along the river. However, currently the river in the city is a victim
of neglect and disregard. With the fast pace of urbanization the quality of water in
the river has also deteriorated drastically. It is evident that the river has always been
very important to the city of Delhi. However, the quality of water in the river has
deteriorated over the decades and the city has slowly turned its back to the river. The
most pressing issues of the existing rivers are:
- Release of untreated sewage- Significant Number of Nallas and piped outfalls
discharge untreated sewage directly into the rivers, converting the river into a
polluted ‘drain’.
- Lack of Access –Yamuna is not easily accessible. In the areas that are already
developed there are very few points where one can approach the River. While
along most of its length, the banks are lined by private properties making the
River inaccessible for citizens.
- Poor connectivity across the banks- results in the river becoming a barrier that
divides the city.

Specific and Generic Issues :

There are currently five largest challenges associated with the Yamuna River’s current
conditions:
- Safety
- Development which ignores the river
- Access
- Effective programming
 Thesis 0.31 – 2020 //
- Environmental conditions associated with water quality.

These conditions are the cumulative results of many factors over many years; no
single entity is responsible.

Site :

The site will be divided into two parts, Western bank and the Eastern bank of the
river particularly in sub zone 4, that is between Old Railway bridge and Indraprastha
Metro station (Blue line).
Currently a major portion of the site is unaccounted in terms of land use, with bits of
it used as festival ground. I would like to do the master planning of the entire stretch
of sub zone 4 in order to prepare a proper theme to address the issue faced
currently.

Why This Site?

1. Access to the site

- Site is right under Indraprastha metro station which lies on the blue line.
- Site runs along Mahatma Gandhi Road which further ahead joins NH24
- Very close to ITO and Connaught place which is the Central Business District
of the city.
2. Visibility
- High visibility from the ITO flyover.
- Panoramic view of the river form the site.
3. Natural Features
- A wide variety of Flora and Fauna
- Open lands and green spaces attract more people as the city lacks places to
relax.

Vision :

To create a vibrant public open space for recreation in the Capital city of India by
developing it's riverfront and to understand the reason behind people turning their
back on Yamuna.
 Thesis 0.31 – 2020 //
Objectives :

- To determine the relationship that exists between the river corridor and the
community of the urban city.
- To reflect the identity and the image of Yamuna river by merging cultural and
natural attributes into resilience riverfront design.
- Understanding the gap between the government. policies and on ground
implementation.
- There is a need to understand the various problems related to rivers like STP's,
barrage, encroachment and impact of urbanization of the river bank.
- Adding to the aesthetic values of the national capital territory of India.
- Introducing alternative medium of transport, source of entertainment,
protecting and preserving the precious aquatic flora and fauna.