Delhi: Yamuna Riverfront Project To Be Completed By June 2026, Says DDA

Restoring the Yamuna and cleaning up its polluted stretches were significant issues raised during the Delhi Assembly elections.

The Yamuna Riverfront project, aiming to restore the river, is slated for completion by June 2026, with Phase 1 of a connecting cycle track due by October 2025.

Source : PTI

The ambitious Yamuna Riverfront project is expected to be completed by June 30, 2026, as per the timelines laid out by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) as part of its key floodplain restoration initiatives. Officials also confirmed that Phase 1 of the cycle track, which aims to connect various floodplain projects, is scheduled to be completed by October 31, 2025.

According to a report by the Indian Express, restoring the Yamuna and cleaning up its polluted stretches were significant issues raised during the Delhi Assembly elections. The BJP had criticised the AAP government for its alleged failure to clean the river, despite reportedly spending large sums of public money.

As part of its election promises, the BJP had assured voters that it would undertake a full-scale cleanup of the Yamuna and develop a riverfront modeled after the Sabarmati riverfront project in Gujarat.

In the past two months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have separately chaired meetings focused on the rejuvenation of the river, underlining the Centre’s renewed push to address the long-standing issue.

As per the Indian Express report, the riverfront, which is likely to be developed at the site of the erstwhile Millennium Park Bus Depot near Sarai Kale Khan, will stretch along 200 metres. This project is part of the plan of DDA to redevelop the river stretching along 22 km between Wazirabad and Okhla barrage.

Restoration Plan Divided Into 11 Different Types 

The restoration and rejuvenation plan is divided into 11 different types of contiguous projects. Five of these, such as the Asita East and Kalindi Aviral, have already been developed; the rest are under various stages of development.

The proposed cycle corridor, aimed at connecting all current floodplain developments, is expected to span 21 km along the western bank and 30 km on the eastern bank of the Yamuna. Authorities stated that the track will serve as a green mobility route on both sides of the river. However, details regarding the extent of work included in Phase 1, which is scheduled for completion within five months, have not yet been disclosed.

Previously, senior government officials said that establishing connectivity among all 11 projects through cycling and pedestrian paths poses significant difficulties. “Though the projects are located next to each other, linking them all is a complex task due to encroachments on various sections of the floodplain and interference from other existing developments,” one official explained.

In May, Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh held discussions with DDA officials about integrating all floodplain projects through a continuous network.