RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT

AMARAVATI – A CONCEPTUAL VIEW

Authors Name: Prof. Sharmila Ganguly

Professor
JBR College of Architecture
Hyderabad, India
Email: ar.sharmilaganguly@gmail.com

Biography of Author
Born in Kolkata, India. Studied in South Point School, Kolkata. B. Arch (Hons) from
Jadavpur University, Kolkata. M. Arch (Hons with Gold Medal) in Environmental
Design from JNAFAU, Hyderabad. Worked in many companies in USA (Virginia), India
(Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad). Taught in SVCA, Maestro SPA, VSAP, JBR College of
Architecture in Hyderabad.

Acknowledgements
I profusely thank my family, friends, and Professor Late K. Sudhakar for their
constant encouragement in my endeavor.
SYNOPSIS

ABSTRACT
Water is essential to life. It is part of the physiological process of nutrition and waste removal from
cells of all living things. It is one of the controlling factors for biodiversity and the distribution of
Earth’s varied ecosystems, communities of animals, plants, and bacteria and their interrelated
physical and chemical environments. From the dawn of human civilization, rivers have been playing a
significant role for the development of human settlement worldwide. River systems are valuable to
human beings; meanwhile, they are intensively influenced by human activities, especially
urbanization.
Rapidly changing demography has brought tremendous change in the land use and land cover
patterns of the river basins. Increasing urbanization in the river basin is followed by a number of
serious impacts on the health of the river basin system. There is a significant growth of urban towns in
India. Of this majority of the local urban bodies are situated along river fronts. Hydrology and
geomorphology of the streams as well as the deterioration of its water quality are the most
detrimental effects identified due to urbanization. So we have to find out ways how to create
Riverfront Development to restore the ecological balance.

AIMS
Analysis of stragetic solutions, measures to improve the riverfront environmental design in India.

OBJECTIVES
To study how riverfront environmental design can influence the sustainable development of a country
and reduce global waarming and shortage of water.

INTRODUCTION

IMPORTANCE OF WATER:
Our country is endowed with a rich and vast diversity of natural resources, water being the most
precious of them and abundant compound on Earth's surface, covering more than 70 percent of the
planet.

Our survival depends on water. Humans, plants, and animals are made up of mostly water. Good
water quality, namely, free of pathogens, is important to human health On the average a person
needs around 150-250 gallons of water daily. Even more water is used by industries to generate
electricity, manufacture things, and transport people and goods.

EARTH’S HYDROSPHERE:

Water is distributed in the form of

§ Oceans (liquid)

§ Continental waters – Lakes, Rivers

& Ground Water. (Liquid)
§ Glaciers and ice caps (solid)

§ Clouds (gaseous)

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INTRODUCTION
ROLE OF RIVERS IN GREAT CIVILIZATION

Earlier people started Civilization around rivers because the land there was fertile from exposure to
water. Places like the Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Thames, Huang He, Niger, and the Tiber.

TIGRIS EUPHRATES RIVERS RIVER NILE IN EGYPT

TIGRIS/EUPHRATES RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION

• The valley between the Tigris and the Euphrates River was
known as the land "between the rivers" in Greek.
• An arc of land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf
called the Fertile Crescent had rich soil and abundant crops to
sustain life in the early civilization.

They gave the people a fresh supply of water. Rivers are many times the defining structure of a
Civilization. For example- Egypt, Babylon, Rome, and Britannia. The ancient Egyptian CIvilisation
flourished in Africa on the river bank of Nile.The bank of Nile was overflowed due to flood in that river
which created fertility of the soil.The fertility of soil helped in ample production of crops which
sustained the life of the people of that land and contributed to the growth of socio-politico-economic
and cultural life of the Egyptians.

Four major civilizations

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INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION

The Sindhu (Indus) River: One of the Longest Rivers in the World

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the earliest civilizations, was the world's largest in extent. Its total
area comprises of north India and the present Pakistan. The first major settlements in the civilization
based on Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, were found along the Indus River and its tributary, the Ravi.
Exploration in recent decades has disclosed several sites along the dry bed of a huge river, now widely
recognized as the legendary River Saraswati according to the ancient literature "Rig Veda".

Urban centres were often planned near rivers or at the coast. The great and well planned cities
provided public and private baths, sewerage through underground drains built with precisely laid
bricks, and an efficient water management system with numerous reservoirs and wells. In the
impressive drainage systems, drains from houses were connected to the larger public drains.
Agriculture was practised on a wide scale, with extensive networks of canals for irrigation. It appears
that fire and flood control measures were taken to protect farms and villages.

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FINDINGS
TYPES OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
There are two types of aquatic ecosystems on earth:
• Marine water ecosystem
• Fresh water ecosystem
There are three basic types of freshwater ecosystems:
• Lentic: slow moving or Stagnant water, including pools, ponds, and lakes.
• Lotic: faster moving water, for example streams and rivers.
Wetlands: areas where the soil is saturated or inundated for at least part of the time.

LOTIC ECO SYSTEM

Lotic water systems are those systems, which contain flowing waters. The mass of water in these
systems is in a state of perpetual motion. Streams and rivers are familiar examples of such systems.
The basic function of these lotic bodies of water is to carry the surplus rainwater back to the sea.
Characteristic features of a lotic system can be summarized as follows:
1. There is a continuous uni-directional flow in a lotic system. The water usually flows in narrow
channels, which are not so deep as compared to lakes. It contains water derived from diverse sources.
2. The volume of water keeps changing which in turn brings about changes in the velocity of water
currents. The water levels in a lotic system also exhibit a wide range of fluctuations.
3. Water in a lotic system acts as an effective agent of transfer, transport and dilution. They keep
eroding materials all along their channels and depositing them elsewhere.
4. There is a thorough mixing of contents in a lotic aquatic system.
5. The physio-chemical parameters of water quality are also in a state of perpetual change. There is
no stability in the environment of a lotic aquatic system as compared to that of lentic water body.
6. Plenty of oxygen is derived from air above which is evenly distributed throughout the water mass.
To this is added the oxygen produced by autotrophs. Oxygen depletion is, therefore, rare in
unpolluted lotic waters. As the population of plants and animals is limited, nutrient depletion that is
frequent in lentic waters is also very rare.
7. Turbidity usually limits light penetration to deeper zones of lotic systems. There is little carbon
dioxide present in these waters. Both these factors tend to limit productivity. Large crops of algae and
other organisms rarely develop in moving waters.
8. Area and depth show little correlation with productivity in lotic waters.
9. There is little correlation between physicochemical characteristics of the aquatic environment and
the productivity of the system.
10. Presence of water current is the dominant feature of a lotic system. Those organisms that have
effective mechanism to stay at one place in the flowing waters usually occur in these systems.
Productivity is low in rapidly flowing waters, rising proportionately as the velocity of flow slows down.
Living organisms take full advantage of water currents to disseminate their seeds, spores and other
reproductive structures all along the length and breadth of the channel. Similar species may occur
throughout the entire course of a stream or a river.
The ecosystem of a river is the river viewed as a system operating in its natural environment, and
includes biotic (living) interactions amongst plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic
(nonliving) physical and chemical interactions.
Lotic waters range from springs only a few centimeters wide to major rivers kilometers in width.

ABIOTIC FACTORS
The non-living components of an ecosystem are called Abiotic Components

RIVER
Water flow is the key factor in lotic systems influencing their ecology. The strength of water flow can
vary between systems, ranging from torrential rapids to slow backwaters that almost seem like lentic
systems. The speed of the water flow can also vary within a system and is subject to chaotic
turbulence. This turbulence results in divergences of flow from the mean downslope flow vector as

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typified by eddy currents. The mean flow rate vector is based on variability of friction with the bottom
or sides of the channel, sinuosity, obstructions, and the incline gradient. In addition, the amount of
water input into the system from direct precipitation, snowmelt, and/or groundwater can affect flow
rate. Flowing waters can alter the shape of the streambed through erosion and deposition, creating a
variety of habitats, including riffles, glides, and pools.

LIGHT
Light is important to lotic systems, because it provides the energy necessary to drive primary
production via photosynthesis, and can also provide refuge for prey species in shadows it casts. The
amount of light that a system receives can be related to a combination of internal and external
stream variables. The area surrounding a small stream, for example, might be shaded by surrounding
forests or by valley walls. Larger river systems tend to be wide so the influence of external variables is
minimized, and the sun reaches the surface. These rivers also tend to be more turbulent, however,
and particles in the water increasingly attenuate light as depth increases. Seasonal and diurnal factors
might also play a role in light availability because the angle of incidence. Additional influences on light
availability include cloud cover, altitude, and geographic position.

TEMPERATURE
Most lotic species are poikilotherms whose internal temperature varies with their environment, thus
temperature is a key abiotic factor for them. Water can be heated or cooled through radiation at the
surface and conduction to or from the air and surrounding substrate. Shallow streams are typically
well mixed and maintain a relatively uniform temperature within an area. In deeper, slower moving
water systems, however, a strong difference between the bottom and surface temperatures may
develop. Spring fed systems have little variation as springs are typically from groundwater sources,
which are often very close to ambient temperature. Many systems show strong diurnal fluctuations
and seasonal variations are most extreme in arctic, desert and temperate systems. The amount of
shading, climate and elevation can also influence the temperature of lotic systems.

CHEMISTRY
Water chemistry between systems varies tremendously. The chemistry is foremost determined by
inputs from the geology of its watershed, or catchment area, but can also be influenced by
precipitation and the addition of pollutants from human sources. Large differences in chemistry do
not usually exist within small lotic systems due to a high rate of mixing. In larger river systems,
however, the concentrations of most nutrients, dissolved salts, and pH decrease as distance increases
from the river’s source.
Oxygen is likely the most important chemical constituent of lotic systems, as all aerobic organisms
require it for survival. It enters the water mostly via diffusion at the water-air interface. Oxygen’s
solubility in water decreases as water pH and temperature increases. Fast, turbulent streams expose
more of the water’s surface area to the air and tend to have low temperatures and thus more oxygen
than slow, backwaters. Oxygen is a byproduct of photosynthesis, so systems with a high abundance of
aquatic algae and plants may also have high concentrations of oxygen during the day. These levels can
decrease significantly during the night when primary producers switch to respiration.

SUBSTRATE
The inorganic substrate of lotic systems is composed of the geologic material present in the
catchment that is eroded, transported, sorted, and deposited by the current. Inorganic substrates are
classified by size, which ranges from boulders, to pebbles, to gravel, to sand, and to silt. Typically,
particle size decreases downstream with larger boulders and stones in more mountainous areas and
sandy bottoms in lowland rivers. This is because the higher gradients of mountain streams facilitate a
faster flow, moving smaller substrate materials further downstream for deposition. Substrate can also
be organic and may include fine particles, autumn shed leaves, submerged wood, moss, and more
evolved plants. Substrate deposition is not necessarily a permanent event, as it can be subject to large
modifications during flooding events.

BIOTIC FACTORS
The living components of an ecosystem are called Biotic Components

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BACTERIA
Bacteria are present in large numbers in lotic waters. Free-living forms are associated with
decomposing organic material, biofilm on the surfaces of rocks and vegetation, in between particles
that compose the substrate, and suspended in the water column.

PRIMARY PRODUCER
Algae, consisting of phytoplankton and periphyton, are the most significant sources of primary
production in most streams and rivers. Phytoplanktons float freely in the water column and thus are
unable to maintain populations in fast flowing streams. They can, however, develop sizable
populations in slow moving rivers and backwaters. Periphytons are typically filamentous and tufted
algae that can attach themselves to objects to avoid being washed away by fast currents. In places
where flow rates are negligible or absent, periphyton may form a gelatinous, unanchored floating
mat.
Plants exhibit limited adaptations to fast flow and are most successful in reduced currents. More
primitive plants, such as mosses and liverworts attach themselves to solid objects. This typically
occurs in colder headwaters where the mostly rocky substrate offers attachment sites. Some plants
are free floating at the water’s surface in dense mats like duckweed or water hyacinth. Others are
rooted and may be classified as submerged or emergent. Rooted plants usually occur in areas of
slackened current where fine-grained soils are found. These rooted plants are flexible, with elongated
leaves that offer minimal resistance to current.
Living in flowing water can be beneficial to plants and algae because the current is usually well
aerated and it provides a continuous supply of nutrients. These organisms are limited by flow, light,
water chemistry, substrate, and grazing pressure. Algae and plants are important to lotic systems as
sources of energy, for forming microhabitats that shelter other fauna from predators and the current,
and as a food resource.

INSECTS AND OTHER VERTIBRATES

Up to 90% of invertebrates in some lotic systems are insects. These species exhibit tremendous
diversity and can be found occupying almost every available habitat, including the surfaces of stones,
deep below the substratum, adrift in the current, and in the surface film. Insects have developed
several strategies for living in the diverse flows of lotic systems. Some avoid high current areas,
inhabiting the substratum or the sheltered side of rocks. Additional invertebrates common to flowing
waters include mollusks such as snails, limpets, clams, mussels, as well as crustaceans like crayfish and
crabs. Like most of the primary consumers, lotic invertebrates often rely heavily on the current to
bring them food and oxygen. Invertebrates, especially insects, are important as both consumers and
prey items in lotic systems.

FISH AND OTHER VERTEBRATES

Fish are probably the best-known inhabitants of lotic systems. The ability of a fish species to live in
flowing waters depends upon the speed at which it can swim and the duration that its speed can be
maintained. This ability can vary greatly between species and is tied to the habitat in which it can
survive. Continuous swimming expends a tremendous amount of energy and, therefore, fishes spend
only short periods in full current. Instead, individuals remain close to the bottom or the banks, behind
obstacles, and sheltered from the current, swimming in the current only to feed or change locations.
Some species have adapted to living only on the system bottom, never venturing into the open water
flow. These fishes are dorso-ventrally flattened to reduce flow resistance and often have eyes on top
of their heads to observe what is happening above them. Some also have sensory barrels positioned
under the head to assist in the testing of substratum.
Lotic systems typically connect to each other, forming a path to the ocean (spring → stream → river
→ ocean), and many fishes have life cycles that require stages in both fresh and salt water.
Other vertebrates that inhabit lotic systems include amphibians, such as salamanders, reptiles (e.g.
snakes, turtles, crocodiles and alligators) various bird species, and mammals (e.g., otters, beavers,
hippos, and river dolphins). With the exception of a few species, these vertebrates are not tied to
water as fishes are, and spend part of their time in terrestrial habitats. Many fish species are
important as consumers and as prey species to the larger vertebrates mentioned above.

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RIVERS
Rivers have been hard at work for urban settlements in the world for more than four cen- turies. The
earliest cities were established along the coasts and inland navigable waterways because the
movement of people and goods depended heavily on water transportation. Human activities have
had an indelible impact upon rivers. We have come to depend on them for transportation and
commerce, to provide food and other substances, and, most problematically, to assimilate and carry
away our wastes. Centuries of hard wear have shown their effect most acutely on urban rivers. Now
there is a growing interest in restoring damaged urban rivers and in protecting those river reaches
that have not yet been affected by negative impacts from human development. And because rivers
are resilient, urban rivers can be remarkably responsive to efforts to protect and improve their
physical condition. If we are going to do a better job of planning and designing riverfront
development, we must first understand the history and current state of urban river health. We must
also recognize the threats to these rivers, including the essential components of a healthy river, and
the prospects for rehabilitating rivers as living ecosystems..Urban river health declined steadily
through the first 70 years of the twentieth century due to massive physical alterations of riverbanks,
overharvesting of fish and other aquatic animals, and the dumping of larger and larger volumes of
sewage and industrial pollutants into rivers.

River Edges

Riverbanks, shorelines, riparian buffers, and river habitats are critically important when planning any
riverfront project. Other important components of ecosystem function that should be considered
include geology, morphology, hydrology, and land cover. Along the river, there are many
opportunities for integrated regenerative design, stormwater management, habitat restoration,
public access, stewardship, and redevelopment.

Dense Urban Development Buffer Zone

In a dense urban development, a buffer zone should include design and development techniques that
will provide and enhance the following: integrated green infrastructure, stormwater management
practices, improved trail access, improved habitat corridor with increased vegetative types such as
meadows and transitional woodlands, as well as increased tree canopy, open space amenity,
integrated design of waterfront access and hardscape elements, marina access, and provision of
ecosystem services.

Mixed Industrial and Residential Buffer Zone

In a residential or mixed light industrial development, a buffer zone should include design and
development techniques that will provide and enhance the following: provision of ecosystem
services; integrated green infrastructure; ecological restoration; stormwater management practices;
improved public trail access; improved and widened habitat corridors; open-space and recreational
amenities, including low-impact water (kayak) access; environmental education opportunities
integrated with neighborhoods and schools and permaculture and regenerative landscapes.

Ecological Conservation and Open-Space Buffer Zone

For open spaces along the river, a buffer zone should include design and development techniques
that will provide and enhance the following: provision of ecosystem services, ecological restoration,
conservation and improvement of biodiversity, increased habitat corridor potential, improved public
trail access, open-space amenities, and environmental education.

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Open-Space Buffer Typologies

1. The wider the riparian buffer, the more benefits it provides in terms of wildlife habitat, water
temperature modulation, protection from nonpoint sources of pollution, food mitigation, sediment
removal, and bank stabilization.

2 . The riparian buffer should be no less than 75 feet at its narrowest, with three zones of bu er from
the stream edge inland.

• The first zone should be undistributed forest to provide food, shade for the water body, and
slope stability.
• The second zone should consist of managed woodland that allows for in filtration, ltration of
sediment and nutrients and nutrient uptake by plants.
• The buffer area on the upland side should include a sheet flow of rainwater runoff to
maximize vegetative and soil contact with the runoff .

3. The riparian corridor should be uninterrupted, helping to reduce the concentrated flows to the
water body and providing continuous habitat for birds and other wildlife species that require
undisturbed access to food, shelter and water.

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4. Trees are the most important element in a riparian corridor for removing nutrients, stabilizing the
soil, modifying water temperature and providing food for aquatic organisms.

5. Recreation in the buffer should be balanced with the effects this will have on existing features,
especially in terms of excess nutrients, contaminants and chemicals, including pesticides, fertilizers,
and herbicides.

In an urban setting, there are likely to be great variations on river edge condition that may prohibit
developing deep buffers due to the topography and the slope of the site. A true riparian buffer in an
urban environment will be costly and diffcult to achieve. In these cases, it is recommended that
natural systems are restored to the best possible state while incorporating recreational amenities
along the rivers.

To the Rivers

Perpendicular connections bring people to the riverfront. Sidewalks, public streets, pathways, and
promenades provide safe and engaging passages and reinforce the riverfronts as the public realm.
The following guidelines will help to ensure that all connections relate eollectively to the surrounding
context.

Riverfront Trails

Trails are riverfront connections that place emphasis on moving along the river for longer distances as
a pedestrian, runner, cyclist or rollerblader. Trails place emphasis on providing riverfront connections
for recreational uses, and as such should be designed with those users in mind.

Guidelines

• In general, contain the trail within a canopy of deciduous trees, providing shade in the
summers and allowing sunlight to penetrate in cooler months. The trail should move in and
out of the tree canopy, opening to provide views to the river and closing again to provide a
sense of intimacy and enclosure.
• Avoid planting trees in even rhythms such as those typically used in street tree plantings,
unless it is desired to emphasize a specific architectural character. Instead, plant them in
groups with varying densities.
• On open sites, plant masses of dense canopy trees and understory trees and shrubs along
the trail opposite the river to create a background of green along the riverfront setting.
Where dense canopy tree plantings are not possible or desired, provide a palette of native
grasses and perennials to create naturalized meadows, as well as shrubs and small
understory trees to provide a sense of enclosure along the riverfront.

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 • On the river side of the trail, design the tree canopy to open and close, creating new views
both to and from the trail. This will create views of the surrounding riverfront.
• Avoid railings along trails wherever possible. Where they are provided for safety, railings
should be designed that t the materials identi ed for the riverfront and should be considered
as opportunities to integrate public art.
• Locate light fixtures, trashcans, signage, and other necessities discretely in the landscape of
the trails. Provide drinking fountains, mileage markers, maps, and informational signage,
integrating them with the landscape. Where appropriate, locate emergency call-boxes at
frequent intervals to provide additional safety and security.
• Wherever possible, provide a dual-surface trail with a crushed limestone surface for
pedestrians and runners and a hard surface for bikers and rollerbladers.
• Creative trail design, such as the development of low-impact techniques, like suspended
boardwalks and permeable walkways, are encouraged in appropriate locations.
Recommended applications include locations where such designs will minimize the
disturbance of habitats.
• Consider alternatives to asphalt as a surfacing material for connections in and to the
riverfront park. Where the use of asphalt is dictated by the construction of temporary
connections or budgetary constraints, use an asphalt material that will provide a light-
colored surface, such as through the addition of limestone to the aggregate. Black asphalt is
highly discouraged as a trail surface material.
• Provide a durable, nished, clean edge along the connection such as stone or concrete.

Riverfront Promenades

Promenades are generally more pedestrian in character, rather than recreational. They provide
opportunities to experience the river from a different vantage point. Promenades are places to see
and to be seen. They can open up the views of the river and integrate the character of the community
with the pastoral nature of a park. Promenades can occur where landings intersect connections along
the riverfront park and where urban districts are adjacent to the riverfront.

• Use higher-quality materials, such as stone paving, for promenades.

• Consider alternative routes for cyclists along a promenade that may interrupt the established
path of riverfront trails. Alternatives include the provision of a “high” promenade paved with
stone, where pedestrians and shoppers might stroll, in conjunction with a “low” trail along
the river, surfaced with concrete or crushed stone. Other recommendations include
providing clear routing along adjacent streets using separated bicycle lanes if possible,
marking access points that will rejoin the riverfront trail.
• Promenades along a riverfront park should be considered part of the park.
• Plant trees within 15 feet of the river edge of the promenade.
• Plant dense landscaping below the front edge of promenades in order to frame views and
give the user the sense of vantage point that comes from sitting above the trees.
• Consider the issue of color for promenade surfaces. Warm-colored paving will seem warmer
in the gray winters, while cool colors will seem cooler in the summers. use natural-colored,
non-glare walking surfaces at landings or other points of interest where more focus is
intended.
• For buildings located along promenades, provide ground floor uses that are public in nature,
including civic, cultural, retail, entertainment, restaurants, and public lobbies.

Riverfront Streets

Streets along a riverfront have the potential to be an exciting and different way to experience
riverfront parks, and to create new opportunities for development adjacent to them. They can make
the riverfront more public and open up all areas of the park for improved public safety and for
persons with limited mobility. At the same time, care must be taken in designing and locating
riverfront streets to ensure that access to the riverfront is not restricted by the presence of vehicular

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streets, and with pedestrians as a primary consideration. Riverfront streets should be perceived as an
extension of the riverfront park.

• Encourage residential uses along riverfront streets.

• Locate primary addresses and entrances to buildings on the riverfront street.
• Limit riverfront street width to no more than two lanes of traffic and one lane of on-street
parking. The maximum width for riverfront streets should be 34 feet, including two lanes of
traffic and one lane of on-street parking on the land side of the street. The preferred width is
30 feet.
• For new streets along the riverfront, provide an appropriate setback that allows a natural
slope and enough space for different desired activities along the river.
• Provide a 7- to 8-foot sidewalk and 4- to 5-foot tree range. Where space is limited, the trail
may substitute for the riverside sidewalk.
• Orient riverfront streets to pedestrians and light traffic. Truck and delivery traffic are not
appropriate on riverfront streets.
• Post maximum speeds of 25 miles per hour on riverfront streets, with traffic- calming
measures integrated in pedestrian districts at intervals of no more than 400 to 600 feet.
• Provide pedestrian crossings not less than 600 feet apart. Provide a change of street paving
that incorporates variations in texture and color at pedestrian crossings.
• Plant riverfront streets with dense tree canopies, allowing views to the river below the
canopies.
• Streets should be designed with all transportation modes fully accommodated instead of
being designed primarily for automobiles. In addition to being multimodal, complete street
design considers—along with the urban design and environmental goals—thoughtful design
and integration of materials, landscaping and stormwater management.

Scenic Drives

Scenic drives are riverfront streets, roads and parkways located along the riverfronts, which are
primarily in a landscape setting,with views to the river and the surrounding landscape. These should
be considered primary connections that preserve views of the river and scenic quality of the
landscape and enhance the experience of driving, biking and walking along the riverfronts. Scenic
drives have a special design quality that includes appropriately detailed cartways and features design
elements such as signage, guardrails, lighting, plantings, bridges, elevated roads and other road
features. Scenic drives can respond to the landscape vocabulary or setting where they are designed,
and can be either formal or natural in character.

• Views should be maintained from scenic drives into the river valleys through the careful
selection of structural elements, including barriers.
• Provide landscaping and street trees for scenic drives in order to enhance the roads as green
boulevards through the community.
• Utilize high-quality materials for the reconstruction of scenic drives, including concrete
sidewalks.
• Consider the impact of reconstruction on views to and from the scenic drives. Considerations
include the use of appropriately designed barriers, the selection of streetlights, and the
design of retaining walls and other structural elements.

Landings

Landings occur where two or more park connections come together and provide focal points for
activity and connection at the water’s edge. Landings are intended to be the public places that people
are drawn to for special events or activities and serve as destinations
and landmarks. They can bring together transit systems and activity centers. They are places where
people nd distinctive experiences along the river’s edge. Landings are intended to provide

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opportunities for design and physical intervention. Landings on the water are an opportunity for
unique places where people, land and water meet.

Guidelines

• Landings should be transitional and connective points between the river’s edge, the
riverfront park and the community, with access to the trails, esplanades, promenades and
transit connections.
• Landings should comprise a series of spaces that vary in size and purpose, and serve those
who use the riverfront park daily or for an occasional or one- time visit.
• Landings should be engaging and lively public places, with with uniqueness and character.
• Landings should be well designed, with higher-quality materials, to serve as places of activity
and o er contrast to the natural elements of the riverfront park.
• Landings should provide opportunities for gathering and meeting spaces for daily use or
special events.

Districts

Planning and development at the district scale can be transformational for communities and regions.
Developers and planners should take the utmost care to make the most of these opportunities to
improve both the built and natural environments.

Street and Grid Patterns

• Seek to re-establish historic street grid patterns that once extended to the river.
• In districts where streets did not extend to the river, establish new perpendicular
connections to provide such access, with the scale of the grid pattern responding to
adjacent neighborhood patterns.
• Establish street grids that respond to topography. For instance, grids should shift
where necessary to open up views and change vantage points.

Transportation Planning

• Developers and building owners are encouraged to provide amenities accommodating

occupants who wish to use alternative transportation, including bicycles and public transit.
• Consider future plans for water transportation as opportunities to make connections to
water landings.
• Provide secure bicycle storage, personal lockers, changing rooms, and showers to
accommodate a minimum of 5 percent of the building’s occupants.
• Maximize on-street parking throughout districts.
• Locate parking below-grade or in a structured garage where possible. When that is not
possible, minimize visible parking, shield parking from view, or locate in the interior of the
block.

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 • Develop shared parking facilities with nearby development, located away from the riverfront.
Explore carpool options and locate parking pools on-site to minimize the impact of parking
along the rivers.
• Ensure any new infrastructure is in compliance with regional and municipal comprehensive
and transportation plans.

Site Planning

• Locate public entrances to retail and commercial uses along the riverfront facade of the
building. Create riverfront addresses, particularly with regard to publicly oriented uses.
• In order to activate open-space connections, locate pedestrian-oriented uses on the ground
floor of buildings and provide pedestrian amenities.
• Utilize landscaping, rather than walls and fences, to create semipublic/ private buffers.
• Do not build surface parking lots adjacent to the riverfront.
• Locate buildings using traditional urban build-to lines, occupying the majority of street
frontages, and activating sidewalks and other connections.
• Whenever possible, do not locate vehicular entrances to parking garages and building
services along primary perpendicular connections. Minimize curb-cuts for vehicular access to
development sites along primary perpendicular connections. Do not locate curb-cuts within
100 feet of a street corner.
• Maximize the use of pervious materials and green infrastructure.
• Reduce on-site heat gains by minimizing dark-colored surface areas, such as black asphalt.
Acceptable alternatives include concrete paving, unit paving systems, light-colored asphalt
products using limestone aggregates or colored sealants, and increasing areas of landscape
and groundcovers.
• Apply sustainable site planning practices, such as: Erosion and sedimentation control,
Development densities that activate the environment, Redevelopment of brown elds,
stormwater best management practices, use of native plantings,use of locally sourced
materials, Minimization of light pollution.
• Bury all utilities in development sites.
Do not locate transformers and other above-grade utility structures along the park or
perpendicular connections to the park.

Open-Space Planning and Design

• When designing new open spaces, check plans for the surrounding community. Public open-
space requirements should be met through the creation of riverfront promenades, additional
perpendicular connections to the park and other spaces that complement the river park.
• Design new open spaces to occur mid-block, not at corners, and in locations that are
adjacent to the riverfront or perpendicular connections to the park.
• Sidewalk cafés and similar uses are encouraged. Make open space accessible to the public 24
hours a day.
• Activate open spaces by locating publicly oriented uses in the ground oors of adjacent
buildings. Provide pedestrian amenities, including seating.

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Stormwater: Simply put, stormwater management is the act of managing the quantity and quality of
stormwater. When designed as part of landscapes, roadways, utilities, and rooftops, stormwater
management systems can connect the urban environment to the natural environment. Proper
stormwater management can aid in preventing myriad problems such as flooding, pollution and
groundwater depletion, but in many urban regions only two out of every ten drops of water reach the
soil and recharge the aquifer. Before stormwater reaches the ground, it is nearly unpolluted. After
landing, it ows and takes in materials, in both dissolved and undissolved forms, from the surfaces on
its ow path to the river or groundwater. To reduce these problems, stormwater should be allowed to
be retained, cleansed and in ltrated before excess amounts overflow into streams and rivers. The
following guidelines are intended to diminish the negative impacts of stormwater on the
environment, while restoring the water quality and health of river ecosystems.

Open Canal: These are used for surface stormwater drainage for roads and parking lots. They can be
located on the side, in the center or halfway between surfaces. Advantages include the visibility of the
stormwater system, easy maintenance and aesthetic design options for the streetscape. Open canals
need to be as shallow as possible to allow for convenient crossing by pedestrians or cyclists.

Sedimentation Basin: These are used to improve stormwater quality and reduce sediment loads.
They remove (by settling) coarse to medium-sized sediment from water. Sedimentation basins can
take various forms, as permanent systems or as temporary measures to control sediment discharge.

Bioretention Swale: These are retention or detention basins with a vegetated (i.e., landscaped)
surface. Runoff is cleansed as it percolates downward. Different construction elements can be used to
direct the in flow of stormwater for cleansing and drainage to reduce the outlet and for emergency
overflow.

Vegetated Swale: These are used to remove soil particles and move stormwater through bu er
strips and bioretention systems. Swales utilize land ow and mild slopes to convey water slowly
downstream. They protect waterways from damage by erosive ows from frequent storm events.

Guidelines

• Stormwater collected from street surfaces and parking lots must be treated prior to its
release in order to remove contaminants (heavy metals, fuel, dust, toxic elements, etc.)
collected during rainfall. This can be accomplished with integrated stormwater and green
infrastructure techniques.

15
 • The flow from combined sewers can be reduced over time if people apply strategies to
reduce runoff along the waterfront, and carry that approach upstream throughout the
watershed.
• Rainfall runoff from project sites should be captured and held by vegetative and soil-based
systems, especially for small, frequent rainfalls.
• Water should never be conveyed to the river in a pipe or concrete system without the
opportunity for capture and treatment, ideally through the use of soil and sunlight.
• When there is a need to convey water, it should happen in open soil and in vegetation
systems that slow, absorb, infiltrate and clean the water. Water should not be “piped”
through the project unless it is buried too deep to reach.
• Open water may not be possible everywhere, but systems that allow water to seep into soils
or planting areas can be used even in very structured areas.
• Every opportunity, no matter how small, should be taken to manage stormwater visibly. If
possible, people should be able to see and remember the rainfall runoff in a positive way.
Even water that comes of roofs can be seen and heard for a moment. Many small things add
up to a bigger change.
• Changes away from solid materials and surfaces—green roofs and walls, porous pavements,
the removal of pavement—should be encouraged.
• Projects should look beyond their footprint to take the water from uphill— roads, other
buildings and paved areas—and reconnect it to the soil and vegetation.
• The path of the combined sewer system should be identified to remind people of where
streams are buried and where they reach the river.

Landscape

Landscape encompasses the natural and built forms that help to define riverfronts. From riparian
zones to landscaped trails and streets to gardens and parks, the landscape element has a critical role
in stabilizing riverbanks, providing habitat, and creating enhanced open space. Landscape also forms
special places by linking the rivers tothe network of streets and buildings, often providing the defining
characteristics of a place. Landscape provides the contrast between the strong forms of the built
environment and the natural forms ofifers setting that are most memorable and inspiring. The
following guidelines are intended for developments seeking to manage the delicate balance between
the built and natural envenvironment.

Key Concepts

• Riverbanks are a crucial interface for river hydrology, riparian support systems and
waterfront activities. A range of riverbank conditions are represented in Southwestern
Pennsylvania, from hard-edged conditions (seawalls, slag piles, bridge abutments, riprap) to
soft edges (shallow banks with oodplain vegetation, steep banks with planted vegetation,
mown and trampled earth banks with invasive vegetation).
• Hard river edges can be a significant concern because they disrupt the natural fluctuations of
water that support a riparian plant environment. Commercial barge and recreational boat
traffic contribute wave action against the shoreline, making it more difficult for young
vegetation to establish at the immediate river edge.

16
 • Invasive vegetation is a relatively recent problem for rivers. Japanese knotweed and other
opportunistic plant species are multiplying on the river edges at a signi ficantly greater rate
than native species. This is resulting in decreased species richness, decreased biodiversity
and less resilient ecosystems.
• Plant native or non-invasive species throughout the river corridors. Native species are
preferred for the river-edge landscapes because of their adaptation to the local
environment, response to food conditions, and biodiversity enhancement.
• With people living, working and playing closer to the rivers, there is a natural tendency
toward removal of trees and vegetationin order to give better views of the river. The
unintended consequences of this removal are the degrading of the riverfront ecology, a
decrease in the e ectiveness of stormwater management, and bank instability.

Landscape Goals

• The landscape should be shaped by the topography that historically defined the natural and
urban form.
• The landscape should contribute to a biologically diverse network of open-space corridors to
support and enhance the wildlife habitat and plant communities of Western Pennsylvania.
• The landscape should consist of a primarily native species palette.
• The landscape should build on the identity and visibility of the region’s rivers and establish a
coherent, recognizable system of places along the rivers throughout the region.
• The landscape should provide a special and comfortable sense of place at the river’s edge,
providing character and identity to the adjoining districts and neighborhoods.
• The landscape should be composed of the natural elements and built environment, each
made more interesting because of their contrasting features.
• The landscape should provide erosion control, riverbank stabilization, storm water
management, and relief from urban heat islands.
• River environments should remain dynamic by nature, evolving and reshaping to new forms.

DASASWAMEDH GHAT, VARANASI GHATS IN MADHYAPRADESH

GHATS
As used in many parts of India the term ghat refers to a series of steps leading down to a body of
water, particularly a holy river. The set of stairs can lead down to something as small as a pond or as
large as a major river.
The numerous significant ghats along the Ganges are known generally as the Varanasi ghats and the
'ghats of the Ganges'. Most of these were constructed under the patronage of various Maratha rulers
such as Ahilyabai Holkar in the 18th century.
In Madhya Pradesh in central India there are further significant ghats along the Narmada River.
People who live on the steps are also called ghats.People have been building and reinforcing Ghats
since the beginning of civilization. As early as 2500 BCE, the Indus Valley Civilization, with urban
centers in what is today Mohenjo Daro and Harappa, Pakistan, used Ghats to protect land near the

17
Indus River. Farmers were able to grow crops like cotton and rice.

LEVEES
Living near water is a wonderful thing—except when there’s a flood. So people build levees. A levee is
a natural or artificial wall that blocks water from going where we don’t want it to go. Levees may be
used to increase available land for habitation or divert a body of water so the fertile soil of a river or
sea bed may be used for agriculture. They prevent rivers from flooding cities in a storm surge. But if a
levee breaks, the consequences can be disastrous.
Levees are usually made of earth. The natural movement of a body of water pushes sediment to the
side, creating a natural levee. The banks of a river are often slightly elevated from the river bed. The
banks form levees made of sediment, silt, and other materials pushed aside by the flowing water.
Levees are usually parallel to the way the river flows, so levees can help direct the flow of the river.
Levees can also be artificially created or reinforced. Artificial levees are usually built by piling soil,
sand, or rocks on a cleared, level surface. In places where the flow of a river is strong, levees may also
be made of blocks of wood, plastic, or metal. Where the area beside a river or other body of water is
in particular danger, levees may even be reinforced by concrete. In addition to creating living space
and cropland, levees can also provide a measure of protection from invaders. Levees can make a river
like a moat, preventing people from easily invading territory on the other side.

PRESENT SCENARIO OF INDIAN RIVERS

CURRENT STATUS OF INDIAN WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT
Water has been considered sacred throughout civilizations. India experiences either excess or scarce
water because of varied rainfall and land topography. Yet they have managed to use natural water
resources efficiently by integrating local water resources and technologies with community
participation.
Riverfronts developments have undergone various stages of development initiatives and become the
most challenging tasks for planners and urban designers nowadays. It reflected a dynamic natural
resources with special characteristics and regarded as the most important factors that influence the
growth and image of the cities and had a significant impact on urbanization and modernization of the
most cities in the near future. In India it is hard to find public open spaces to take refuge from the
day-to-day hustle and bustle.

URBANIZATION & THIER IMPACT ON RIVERS

Water pollution is one of the biggest issues facing India right now. The single biggest reason for water
pollution in India is urbanization at an uncontrolled rate. Urbanization has major impacts on rural
areas, reshaping lifestyles, livelihoods, and patterns of consumption and waste generation. In
developing countries like India poor designed or ill managed irrigation is the main source of non point
pollution of river bodies. Negative effects of rapid industrialization, expanding urbanization and
advanced agricultural activities have kept the rivers under high levels of pollution.

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Some of the important effects of urbanization on a river basin are summarized below:

1) Deforestation and catchment degradation in the river basins.

2) Increased erosion of soil due to increased surface runoff.
3) Increased silting and sedimentation of the rivers.
4) Alterations in the hydrology due to increasing imperviousness of the catchment area i.e.
modifications in aquatic ecosystem.
5) Severe water scarcity in the river basin.
6) Environmental pollution.
7) Declined water quality of rivers.
8) Morphological alterations of the rivers and extinction of the river channels.
9) Unpredictable local climate.
10) River fragmentation and flow regulation in rivers.
11) Over exploitation of the natural resources.
12) Changes in ecosystem processes and stability.
13) Frequent natural disasters like floods and droughts.
14) Habitat and community modifications.
15) Biotic homogenization and biodiversity loss in a river basin ecosystem.
16) Loss of aesthetic value or recreation

WATER POLLUTION
The problem of fresh water pollution in India came to the forefront towards the beginning of 1970’s
with the domestic sewage and industrial waste discharges being the most critical sources of pollution
in cities. This resulted in the promulgation of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,
1974 and establishment of the National Water Quality Network in 1979. The sources of water
pollution include point and non-point sources like discharges from industries and storm water
respectively. While pollution from point sources can be controlled, it is difficult to control pollution
from non-point sources - agriculture run-off, leaching from waste disposal sites and storm water.

IMPACT OF WATER POLLUTION ON LIVING BEING

Due to rapid Urbanization & industrialization, water pollution has already reached dangerous levels.
Additionally, increased use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in agriculture has also aggravated the
situation. The dangers emanating from water pollution have severely affected humans, animals, and
plants. In some parts of the world, some species are already on the verge of extinction due to water
pollution.

WATER POLLUTION & MARINE LIFE

Aquatic systems are considered as suitable sites for disposal and recycling the sewage and toxic
wastes and drain off the excess to the water bodies. However, the increasing pollutant load and the
over exploitation of the water resources for potable supplies, irrigation, industries and thermal power
plants to meet the requirements of the ever-increasing population, significantly reduces their
assimilative capacity. Thus, the dual stress exerted on the watercourses is ultimately faced by the
biological communities inhabiting them.
Some of the pollutants decompose or volatilize, others form insoluble salts, which precipitate and get
incorporated into the sediment. Uptake of such toxicants by aquatic organisms like fish may be
followed by metabolism of the toxicants into more toxic derivatives. For example mercury from
industrial effluents may be converted by microbial action into highly toxic methyl mercury which can
then be taken up by fish. Many aquatic organisms have been known to concentrate toxic solutes from
their habitat without any obvious damage to themselves. They thus act as toxicant amplifiers, making
the toxicants available to predators at dangerously high levels. Several cases of the adverse effects of
environmental pollution on fish and fish consumers have been reported. The term pollution broadly
refers to any undesirable change in the natural quality of environment brought about by physical,
chemical, or biological factors.

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The increased anthropogenic load on our aquatic ecosystem determines the necessity of
investigations devoted to adverse effects of pollution and its potential risk for aquatic ecosystems. A
deleterious effect of pollution has been detected on populations of different organisms inhabiting the
water body through various scientific researches. The decrease of some fish populations and partial
loss of commercial fishing importance are among of the huge changes in the ecosystem. Biochemical,
cellular, tissue, and organism modifications underline different types of ecosystem changes; the
exposure of fish to chemical contaminants induces a number of modifications in different organs,
particularly gills, liver and kidney.

DESKTOP STUDY – 1. KRISHNA RIVER

• The river is also called Krishnaveni, The Krishna River is the fourth-biggest river in terms of
water inflows and river basin area in India,after the Ganga, Godavari and Brahmaputra.
• The Krishna Basin extends over Andhra Pradesh, Telangana , Maharashtra and Karnataka
having a total area of 2,58,948 Sq.km. The total length of river from origin to its outfall into
the Bay of Bengal is 1,400 km.
• It is bounded by Balaghat range on the north, by the Eastern Ghats on the south and the east
and by the Western Ghats on the west.
• Its principal tributaries joining from right are the Ghatprabha, the Malprabha and the
Tungabhadra whereas those joining from left are the Bhima, the Musi and the Munneru.
• The first holy place on the river Krishna is "Dakshin Kashi Wai", located in sangali of
mahanrastra known for the Mahaganpati Mandir and Kashivishweshwar temple at
shrishilam also goddess Durga temple in Vijayawada .

Tributaries of Krishna river in Telangana are Tungabhadra, Dindi, Haliya, Musi, Paleru and
Munneru.

The river originates in Anantagiri Hills near Vikarabad, 90 kilometers to the west of Hyderabad and
flows due east for almost all of its course. It joins the Krishna River at Vadapally in Nalgonda
district after covering a distance of about 240 km.The Musi rises at an altitude of about 661 m in the
Medak district of Telangana . It flows through Hyderabad city and runs mostly west to east until it is
joined by the Aleru. Then it flows south-wards and drops into the Krishna near Wazirabad, at an
elevation of about 61 m. The Tungabhadra, an important tributary of the Krishna, is formed by the
union of the Twin Rivers Tunga and Bhadra, which rise together in the Western Ghats at Gangamula
at an elevation of about 1196 m. The united river Tungabhadra flows for about 531 km in a generally
north-easterly direction, through Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and joins the Krishna beyond
Kurnool at an elevation of about 264 m. The total drainage area of the Tungabhadra is 71417 sq km.

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 KRISHNA RIVER AT VIJAYWADA
Krishna Basin:
The river rises in western Maharashtra state in the Western Ghats range near the town
of Mahabaleshwar, not far from the coast of the Arabian Sea.
The major Hydro Power stations in the basin are Koyna, Tungabhadara, Sri Sailam, Nagarjuna Sagar,
Almatti, Naryanpur, Bhadra.
Krishna river holds the rich flora and fauna. The last surviving Mangrove forests in the Krishna estuary
have been declared as the Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary also supports rich vegetation
with plants like Rhizophora, Avicennia, and Aegiceros. Their are few other wildlife sanctuaries located
in the river basin Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve .
Krishna river basin is endowed with rich mineral deposits such as oil & gas, coal, iron, lime
stone, dolomite, gold, granite, laterite, uranium, diamonds, etc. The following are the few noted
deposits: Nalgonda uranium deposits , Jaggayapeta mines, dolomite, Hatti Gold Mines (Raichur
district , Karnataka).

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 DESKTOP STUDY
2. AMARAVATI

OVERVIEW
Amaravati is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a newly planned city, which
derives its name from the ancient Amaravathi town located in Guntur district. Newly planned city of
Amaravati along with neighboring Vijayawada, Guntur and Tenali forms the Metropolitan region of
Amaravati namely Andhra Pradesh Capital Region which is the largest populated region of Andhra
Pradesh state with a population of 5.8 million as of 2011 census which is governed by APCRDA. The
capital city of Amaravati is a new city planned in Thullur mandal and is different from the historical
Buddhist town of Amaravathi. Amaravati region is an important part and ruled by many kingdoms
from ancient history. Amaravati was the capital city for Satavahana kings and Vasireddy Venkatadri
Nayudu.
Woven around the theme of blue of the Krishna river and green of the pastoral landscape, the capital
city is planned to spread over a 217.23-sq.-km area in Guntur district while the metropolitan capital
region spans 7,420 sq. km encompassing large parts of Guntur and Krishna districts.
Chief minister Mr. Chandrababu Naidu’s team choice Singapore, Japan and China for inspiration and
gave the core capital master plan work to a Singapore firm Surbana Jurong Private Limited, and the
design to Japanese company Maki and Associates’ for the 16.9-sq.-km core capital straddling
Uddandarayunipalem (where Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the capital
on October 22, 2015), Lingayapalem and Thalayapalem. Amaravati is being envisaged as “a smart,
green, sustainable city”, with zones consisting of a central business district, residential areas, green
zones and water bodies.
The blueprint for the core area has four distinct regions: Amaravati Government Core comprising
Assembly, Secretariat, High Court and Raj Bhavan; the downtown area that has a central boulevard,
convention centre and recreation facilities; the city gateway; and a 30-km-long waterfront. It also has
provision for a piazza with two iconic towers and a garden.
Barely 25 km away from the core area of the in-the-works capital are the ruins of the ancient town of
Amaravati, capital of the Satavahanas who ruled in the second century BC.

CAPITAL CITY - LOCATION IDENTIFICATION

1. The State Government has taken the recommendations of the expert committee, opinions of
experts of urban development, various public organizations and after considering all aspects

22
 of public welfare, accessibility to all parts of the state, advantages and disadvantages,
identified and finalized the location of the Capital City area taking the following factors into
consideration.
1. The identified Capital City area is centrally located from both rear ends of the State
with good connectivity.
2. Guntur and Vijayawada cities are already congested and they have not been
included in Capital City area.
3. The Capital City is 60.30 km to 78.70 km from the nearest point of Bay of Bengal and
far away from cyclone zone.
4. The Capital City area is located on the upstream of Prakasam Barrage; as a result
avoids Krishna delta lands and is also less prone to flooding from Krishna River.
5. River Krishna has well defined regime course and its natural and man-made banks
are capable of carrying flood discharge.
6. Diviseema area is prone to cyclones and it is located 96 KMs away eastern side of
Prakasam Barrage and Capital City is located on the western side of Prakasam
Barrage spreading over 20 km on southern side of Krishna River.
7. The choice of the State Government is to go for de-centralized development with
centralized administration.
2. The Andhra Pradesh State Assembly passed resolution on 03-09- 2014 to establish green
field Capital City as a livable, environmentally sustainable people’s capital and identified
location of the Capital between Vijayawada and Guntur Cities on the banks of river Krishna.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

Major greening works have been completed, including - greening of road medians from Gannavaram
to Ramavarappdu, Gollapudi to Ibrahimpatnam, Krishna varadhi to Saibaba Temple, Mangalagiri
landscaping on either side of the roads from Gannavaram to Ramavarappadu, greenery in cement
pots, road avenues from Karakatta to Venkatapalem and Mandadam to IGC, shelterbelt plantation

23
around IGC, greening & landscaping of Transit Government Complex, Tank front of Thullur, Capital
City foundation stone area near Uddandarayuni palem etc.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

The Sewage treatment plant became operational at Interim Government Complex designed for a
population of 6250, with a capacity of 0.5 MLD. The treated sewage on a daily basis is between 260 –
300 cum and is being used for maintenance of Greenery developed in the IGC.

MASTER PLAN

AMARAVATI MASTER PLAN (M/S SURBANA JURONG)

SOME IMPORTANT FEATURES OF AMARAVATI AS PER THE MASTER PLAN:

The capital city will rise on the banks of the Krishna River, between the existing cities of Vijayawada
and Guntur. Named after an ancient Buddhist city, Amaravati will be the seat of the Andhra Pradesh
government. It will also be a city where Andhra citizens and people from all over the world can live,
work and play.

The five key features of the Amaravati Master Plan are: i) growing a vibrant economy; ii) creating a
livable Indian city; iii) enhancing connectivity and active mobility; iv) ensuring sustainability; and v) the
People's Capital.

The delivery of the Amaravati Master plan marks the second milestone in the three-stage plan of the
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between International Enterprise Singapore and the
Infrastructure Corporation of Andhra Pradesh. The first stage, the Capital Region Plan, was completed
and handed over to the Andhra Pradesh government on 30 March 2015. The mission was to develop
an Integrated Solid Waste Management Master Plan.

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AMARAVATI DOWNTOWN:

The Amaravati Downtown is the commercial heart of the Capital city. This area has the best access
through public transit. Therefore, the following strategies will help exploit maximum potential:
The buildings along the central boulevard are proposed to have no setbacks and active uses such
as retail, restaurants, cafes on the ground storey. These will be allowed to spill over on to the

25
walkways in order to create an active building edge.

Small pocket parks will complement the city level green spaces to create breathing semi-public
gathering.
This illustrated will create the first impression of the Capital City because it forms the gateway to the
city and SEED development. It has been designed in a way to create the necessary impact that one
needs to feel while entering the Capital City. Following strategies will help achieve the above.

The bridge is designed in itself to become a symbol of the city to welcome the arrivals. Appropriate
parcels have been identified to be developed for the Iconic Gateway towers and to emphasize the
grandeur effect of entering the capital city. This has been further enhanced by carefully setting back
the building to create a larger green/public space in front of the building that allows one to appreciate
the buildings. These will be active urban spaces with F&B, retail, and also showcasing open-air
performances. These spaces are seamlessly connected to the wetland park and the public
waterfront .The rooftop of the podium building will be visible while arriving from the iconic bridge
and is proposed to house open to sky public activities. Vehicular access is only provided through sub-
arterial and collector roads and vehicular access is discouraged along the waterfront thus maintaining
a peaceful and safe environment.

AMARAVATI WATERFRONT
The Amaravati waterfront is envisioned as an active public waterfront with city level commercial and
recreational uses. The key place making strategies for the Amaravati waterfront include:
Large public buildings are proposed to attract people to the waterfront. In accordance to this, large
public spaces have been designed to accommodate these numbers. The buildings and public spaces
are designed to be barrier free in order to integrate the interiors and exteriors. The ground levels of
these buildings are encouraged to have direct access from the public spaces.
The Amaravati plaza is a grand plaza that will be a multipurpose space housing activities such
as waterfront amphitheaters, traditional street hawkers, etc. in order to create an interesting
yet compatible mix of activities.
Utilising the Krishna River to its maximum potential, the government has planned several facilities
along the banks of the river in the city. Both sides of the Krishna River will see several major
landmarks such as an Amphitheater, an International standard cricket stadium and the Central
Business District (CBD); much like the downtown areas of foreign countries.
The riverfront will also have recreational facilities like theme parks and entertainment centers; in
addition to hotels and other tourism-enhancing facilities.
The islands in the river are also being used, with recreational facilities like golf courses and eco-parks.
The islands will also have high-end residential clusters.
According to the Amaravati master plan released by the government, there are also plans to have
water-taxis as an alternative transport option; connecting the islands and the main land.
This waterfront promenade or walkway is to be built on a 35 km stretch on both sides of the river,
connecting several parks and other places on the city’s east and west. This pathway will give a
panoramic view of the river; with attractive lighting in the night. Visitors can also hop onto a river taxi
from the promenade and enjoy a lovely boat ride with their friends and family.

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SITE ANALYSIS

The proposed Industrial Start-Up development of is located in close proximity and to the west of
proposed Amaravati administrative government core and the proposed SEED Development. It is also
near to the existing Thullur settlement. It enjoys excellent accessibility and connectivity as it abuts
an important expressway directly linked to Vijayawada city, once the 2nd bridge along the eastern
edge of the administrative government core is constructed. Location wise, it is strategically placed
within the Capital City Phase 1 area and accessible to the surrounding Residential,
Commercial, Educational Institutions and Recreational facilities. As industrial development will be an
important catalyst in the Startup phase of the city, a number of industrial parcels have been identified
within the Phase - 1 of the Capital City.

CREATING A LIVEABLE INDIAN CITY

To ensure a quality living environment, the plan has a laid out infrastructure for delivering
reliable supplies of electricity and water, while managing solid waste and sewerage, thereby ensuring
a quality living environment.

NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORT CHOICES

Amaravati residents will also have non-motorized transport choices using an extensive network
of walkways, cycle tracks and local Waterways. This approach promotes active mobility within the city
while protecting its environment through reductions in carbon emissions and other pollutants.

ENSURING SUSTAINABILITY
Recognizing the unique value of Amaravati's location beside the Krishna River, the master
plan preserves much of the existing greenery and waterways, while introducing new parks, gardens
and recreational facilities such as a cricket stadium. Amaravati will possess a distinctive riverfront
with lush open spaces for its citizens to enjoy.
Innovative approaches are envisaged to turn the reservoirs, storm water detention ponds and canals
into locales for public enjoyment even as they perform the critical functions of storing water and
controlling flooding.

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DISCUSSIONS
RIVER CONSERVATION MEASURES

Scope for water conservation at the planning stage:

• Planning water conservation can help reduce per capita demand, especially when cities face
water scarcity. It creates more opportunity for water conservation; local area plans can help
decision makers and water managers better use of community open spaces and built-up
areas to lend a coherent character to the area.
• Local plans (regional, master, zonal) also provide the opportunity for devising regulations
specific to the area such as buffer and eco-sensitive zones where water conservation options
can be thought about. For example, floodplain buffers can act as regional recharge zones.

River Conservation Strategies:

Maintenance of Flow: With increasing demands for water from a burgeoning human population,
rivers’ flow regimes are being manipulated in many ways, but with two main trends. River flow is
either reduced, because water is being abstracted or stored in an upstream reservoir, or it is
increased, because stored water or water from another river is being released down the channel.
Both may happen in the same river at different times of the year, resulting in a general tendency
towards a reversal of flow patterns.

The flow regime is one of the overriding determinants of the character of a river ecosystem, reflecting
its geographic location and the geological and topographic features of the area.

Ø River Front Development: The Waterfronts coincided with a growing interest in historic
preservation and with efforts to counteract suburban flight by reviving the urban core.

Concept:
A buffer zone should include design and development techniques that will provide and enhance the
following: integrated green infrastructure, stormwater management practices, improved trail access,
improved habitat corridor with increased vegetation, open space amenity, integrated design of
waterfront access and hardscape elements, marina access, and provision of ecosystem services.

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Capacity Building: Capacity building is an important part of Conservation of Rivers mission. In which
Building Workforce Capacity and connecting people and resources can be done through community
awareness programs and campaigns.
Research and Monitoring: Monitoring, evaluation and adaptive management play crucial roles in
supporting effective river conservation. For assessing the effectiveness of river restoration measures
and for guiding adaptive management. Monitoring programmes should validate (or disprove) the
scientific assumptions that underpin the conservation strategy and should provide evidence about
whether conservation projects have been successful.
Strong Policy, Legal, and Regulatory Frameworks: Many states in India have implemented laws
transferring responsibility for the management of irrigation systems to farmers to improve
decentralized service delivery performance and empower stakeholders. Efforts to rationalize the
regulatory frameworks governing water

Biodiversity Conservation:

The diversity of living organisms exist in this sphere and their relationship with other biotic and abiotic
elements altogether define the biodiversity. Biodiversity is of three types specifically genetic diversity,
species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. It is the reservoir of food, habitat, shelter, clothes, etc. and
has certain productive, social, ethical, economic, ecological and legal values. The day to day increased
demand has exploited it and has posed many threats to the biodiversity.
Enforcing strict regulations through Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Environment and
Forests through following methods must reduce discharge of sewage into rivers.

Maintenance of bio-conservation zone: A well de-marked bio-conservation zone where only

plantation and other ecofriendly activities are allowed should be maintained extending between 100
to 1000 meters in width depending on topography, this will act as an effective barrier to moderate
the negative impacts.

Vegetative filter strips for water pollution control in agriculture (VFS, is an area of vegetation that is
planted intentionally to help remove sediment and other pollutants from runoff water).

River Rejuvenation - Over a long period, a river assumes a generally smooth long profile. This is the
most efficient profile for a river to have in order to transport water and sediment. It represents a
state of equilibrium (balance) with the environment. In theory, a river will always be trying to achieve
this smooth concave profile. Occasionally an event occurs that de-stabilises the situation, and causes

the river to actively erode its channel in order to re-establish its smooth long profile. This renewed
period of erosion is called rejuvenation.
In this section you will learn about:
● the processes of rejuvenation
● the impact of rejuvenation
● the characteristics and formation of knick
points, waterfalls, river terraces, and incised meanders

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Green Bridges
The horizontal eco-filtration system – a grafting of ecological system to treat the pollution
flowing through the streams and rivers.

INFERENCES
A national water policy for the twenty-first century has to recognize water as a national resource for
the purpose of national development goals and planning, water has to be managed in a decentralized

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way, with partnerships between local communities and concerned state governments. The policy
should provide broad guidelines and be flexible enough to suit the various conditions in each
watershed and river basin, such as the agro-climatic zone, location of polluting and other industries,
the location of towns and population density. Different regions of the country, endowed differently
with water in the form of precipitation, surface flows and groundwater, need their own region-
specific water policy, which can be based on broad guidelines. Growth of local plant is the riverfront
is important as they are resistant to the temperature, wind, soil and pests. Pond, forest, wooden
landscape is important for ecosystem. National Green Tribune stresses on development of river beds.
Mixture of different types of plants on the riverfront is beneficial to the ecosystem as they invite
insects , birds. If plants are not planted in the riverfront then weeds like Parthenia grows which are
harmful for the environment. These plants also bring rainfall which helps to rejuvenate dying rivers of
India. Riverfront Environmental Design with extensive green cover should be given topmost priority in
plannling sustainable environment to stop Global warming and solve water shortage issues
throughout the country.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://crda.ap.gov.in/APCRDADOCS/DataModuleFIles/Reports/01~1555APCRDA%20Project
%20Report%20March17.pdf
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Capital-project-The-making-of-
Amaravati/article14399809.ece
https://www.amaravathireview.com/amaravathi-master-plan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_ecosystem
http://riverlifepgh.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/A-Guide-to-Riverfront-
Development.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghat
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/levee/
http://www.historydiscussion.net/world-history/contribution-of-river-nile-to-egyptian-
civilisation/1854
http://www.southreport.com/amaravati-the-waterfront-city-with-a-wide-range-of-river-
based-facilities/

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