Gandhinagar: The city’s renowned river front is set for a significant extension, stretching an additional 22 km up to the Pethapur thermal power plant in Gandhinagar. This ambitious project, slated to be executed in five stages (Phases 3 to 7), aims to enhance connectivity between various regions and alleviate traffic congestion. Upon completion, the riverfront will extend to a total length of 38.5 km, making it the longest riverfront in the world, according to senior officials from the urban development department.

The state government will lead this extensive plan through the Gujarat Urban Development Company Ltd (GUDCL), the designated nodal agency.

The Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL), which has already developed 11 km of the riverfront in Phase 1 and is currently working on a 5.5-km stretch between Subhash Bridge and Indira Bridge in Phase 2, will also be involved in this expansion. “The current plan is to extend the riverfront all the way to the Gandhinagar Thermal Power Station, covering a total of 38.5 km. To ensure seamless coordination among various urban local bodies, the state government has entrusted the project to GUDCL. SRFDCL will continue to provide crucial technical expertise as the consulting agency beyond Phase 2,” stated a senior urban development department official.

The expansion will involve collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including local authorities such as the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (Auda), Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC), Gandhinagar Urban Development Authority (Guda), GIFT City, and the irrigation department. “The existing riverfront has a water retention capacity of 65 lakh–70 lakh cubic metres. This capacity can be replicated beyond Indira Bridge by the weir,” said a senior urban development department official. He added, “According to senior AMC officials, the prime area would be a 9.6 km stretch towards the Narmada canal upstream from the railway bridge near Bhat.”