According to a 2022 report by the UP Pollution Control Board, almost 310 industrial units—of which 220 were located in Ghaziabad—were dumping pollutants into the Hindon across districts.
From the run-up to the Delhi Assembly Elections earlier this year, the issue of the Yamuna cleanup and its revival has hogged the limelight. In that regard, respective state governments have been mulling over riverfront development plans. Recently, the Delhi government announced one such plan, while Uttar Pradesh has also proposed its plan along the Yamuna in Mathura. In a recent development, the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has unveiled a plan to develop 1.5 km of riverfront along the Hindon, stretching from the City Forest to Raj Nagar Extension.
CM Yogi asked GDA to prepare a plan
UP CM Yogi Adityanath had earlier asked the GDA to prepare a plan for the development of the riverfront on the lines of Lucknow’s Gomti development.
Rudresh Shukla, GDA’s media coordinator, said, “The plan is in a nascent stage, but roughly 800 m of riverfront on both sides of Hindon, from City Forest towards RNE, will be developed. The riverfront will be between the embankment and the outer ring road, which leads to the RNE township.”
The GDA official also said that the Authority will initiate the process with a request for proposal (RFP). It will be followed by hiring a consultant, expected to come up with the detailed project report (DPR). He also hinted that the project is likely to cost Rs 40 crore.
Hindon is described as ‘dead’ due to its perennial black waters
According to officials, the riverfront project will expedite the efforts to clean up Hindon, which has been described as ‘dead’ due to its perennial black waters, contaminated with industrial effluents and sewage.
According to a 2022 report by the UP Pollution Control Board, almost 310 industrial units—of which 220 were located in Ghaziabad—were dumping pollutants into the Hindon across districts. The majority of these industries pertained to pulp, tanneries, and dyeing sectors.
According to a Times of India report, experts are of the view that the “very concept of a Hindon riverfront without treating drain water that flows into the river is flawed. For the last decade, little to no work has been done to clean up the river.”
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