ABSTRACT
Yamuna is dying. One of the holiest rivers of the Hindus that charmed the Mughals to build the Taj Mahal along its banks is reduced to a pale, sickly drain. The paths along the riverfront, which were once the centre of a thriving river culture, have disappeared without a trace. Yamuna has become a cautionary tale of rapid unchecked urbanisation.
In 1912, when Herbert Baker and Edwin Lutyens won the commission to build a new capital for the British Empire’s jewel, India, their aim was to create a garden city of 400,000, “with room for endless expansion”. That number has now swelled to a staggering 16 million. In the 22 km it flows through Delhi, the river Yamuna dies from a million cuts. For instance, Delhi generates 36 million tonne of sewage, and 50% of it flows untreated into the river. The 22-km stretch of the river through the city—two per cent of its total length—contributes 80% of its pollution load. Delhi is damaged by the going paradigms of the river Yamuna. Since 1993, successive governments have spent over 250 million Euros in 3 phases to revive the river, with little to show for it. Amidst this failure how can we future-proof the desecrated city of Delhi through strategies of spatial and urban planning?
This research-work seeks to find salvation for Yamuna through Green Urbanism, a conceptual model for zero-emission and zero-waste urban design, which arose in the 1990s, seeking to re-engineer existing ci-ties and regenerate the post-industrial city centre. This study concludes that a design that crosses theory to take into account, political, social and economic realities, will help in creating a feasible natural and urban landscape in Delhi. With this new strategy, the future city of Delhi forms a new urban structure where the urban-rural morphology and nature overlap. The study develops a strategy by interpreting the results of various research methods like DPSIR, SWOT, Place-diagram and Stakeholder-analysis for a realistic outcome.
This regeneration strategy forYamuna is based on a case study of Rhine which flows through Germany. Rhine, which has a catchment area of 200000 km2 where 58 million people live, was once labeled as the ‘Open Sewer in Europe’. A sustainable plan, has transformed the fortunes of Rhine, which received the European River Prize in 2013. A study which brings together sustainable practices and ideas from both professionals and stakeholders is a perfect way to understand the complexity of huge scale urban projects. The outcome of such a study will guide us to a green and sustainable future.
