A coalition of 18 environmentalists, researchers and former water ministry officials has urged the Centre and Delhi government to reconsider the proposed 52-km Yamuna riverfront development, citing ecological concerns and increased flood risks.
The proposed project, modelled on Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati riverfront, would be developed in two phases, from Palla to Wazirabad and Wazirabad to Kalindi Kunj.
In a letter to Union ministers and Delhi’s leadership, the signatories argued that the Sabarmati model cannot be replicated along the Yamuna, a glacier-fed river with significant silt loads and seasonal flow variations.
They warned that construction on the floodplain could reduce the river’s flood-carrying capacity, particularly following the floods of 2023 and 2025. Citing a 2015 National Green Tribunal ruling, the coalition called for public disclosure of project reports and environmental assessments.
The signatories urged authorities to prioritise pollution control, restoration of environmental flows and scientific demarcation of the floodplain over large-scale riverfront development.
