REVITALISAilON OF GHATS: APPROACH TO BRINGING LIFE BACK TO URBAN RIVER SYSTEMS **-:..lr Drothi Khanna
I
Dr. Aman Sharma
Background From rvhat began as the raison detre of urbanisation
-as today been relegated to the background of
civilisation. Rivers in lndia were sacred sites chosen
ior the establishment of temple
complexes and
cilgrimage sites, palaces and forts, capital cities and urban centers during successful reigns and periods in
The essential foundations of the city, its Iifeline have
currently been relegated to the appendix: we think
it's necessary but we are not really sure what it is used for, so more often than not it is ignored and tends to
be
.s.quatted
Haridwar
upon
or
misusid, e.g.
Varanasi,
istory. Borne out of necessity of witer for survival as the intangible associations with this sacred eiement, these centers continued to thrive and grow over time. Today, many of the cities that we live in are extensions and expansions of these original gestures. h
,,,,eil
Photo-4 : Yamuna River It is common knowledge that river systems in lndia
are probably one of the most historically and socio_ of settlements. They existed before we did, and they are the reason our cities are located where they are today, and have
culturally important constituents
Photo-l : Ganga at Varanasi
an urban form that till recently responded to their context flain 2OO9, p.10), e.g.: Delhi_ MpD proposals- land uses and buildings are along the Delh i river front.
Photo.2: lmmerged temple view from a boat a.
Why then are we facing the unusual paradox of dirty rivers and faceless urban design? ln this article we present the approach that an adequate response to our rivers will define contextual urban form for our settlements and in turn improve the quality of Iife offer to the city dweilers making tndiin cities llu1y" 'livable'. We focus on the ghats becausJthey link the historical and sacred aspects of the river with the socialand built characteristics of the city. Current Scenario and Major lssues
r:
--.-:@ *rr-:-: --==iE:..-, -Y-onl
-#!*"
Photo-3: People bathing in Varanasi Photo-S : Delhi Panorama
. .
The Cang4 undoubtedly the most sacred river in lndi4 provides physical and spiritual sustenance for nearly half of the lndian population (WWF 2012, p.
.
6). The withdrawal of its waters for human or related consumption has cost the river its natural ecological health. ln upstream section of the river, its flow is modified due to diversion of water in hydro-power plants, while in the downstream side, extraction for agricultural use further reduces the flow. The real havoc is unleashed by the untreated sewage being dumped incessantly and shamelessly directly into the river which is believed to facilitate the final
heavenward jou rney for the fol lowers of
H i nd u
i
Unauthorizedcolonies Poorwater/ sewage and solid waste management Absence of governance or control on riverfronts
2.2 Currentlyriver
is
asewer
sm.
This combination of poor water quality and depleting
water quantity (Figure-1) has a colossal negating effect on the ecology of the river; and the populations that rely on the river for water, fish, and agricultural
irrigation and eventually all
Photo-6 : Qudsia Ghat panorama Our water requirement today is being met primarily through our rivers which have instead been turned into open sewers carrying our daily waste. This deterioration of what was a pristine water carrier responsible for our survival into an urban drain charts a very catastrophic journey for our urban
'
of us who are being
sustained (indirectly) byour river systems. 2.1 Pressure of Urbanisation
dwellers.
From
a
religious perspective, the Canges and
Yamuna are continually being used
for
religious
ablutions and other cultural activities while being declared unfit for bathing (CPCB 2313, p.10). While rivers must be used as a source of water for cities, it is necessary to evaluate the extent to which the flow of
the river can be altered from its natural state. Environmental Flows (E-Flows) are the required natural flows that are necessary to maintain the
ecology of the river while serving the dependent human populations. (WWF 2012, pp.4-10) These Ievels need to be maintained in order to provide water and long term ecological and economical sustainability.
2.3
Lack of physicaVpsychological connection
This apathy towards what we have considered sacred, one of the most revered features of our Figure-l : Delhi
in the river floodplain to paving of surfaces which decrease ground absorption and increase surface water flow. This Uncontrolled urbanisation
Ieads
leads to greater volumes of water entering the river system instead of recharging the ground water table. The following issues due to urbanization also affect river health: Population pressure
. . .
Deforestation Trespassing on storm water drains
natural environment, is also the result of progressive
decisions of delinking our daily existence *ith the riverfront. Layout of arterial roads alongside river
banks severing the connect with the city
;
deterioration of water quality; usage of floodplains
for squatting has further led to a
psychological
disconnect where, if questioned, many of the city dwellers have little or rather poor perception of this natural landscape. ln many cities along the Canga and Yamun4 the river is difficult to access, edged with dense ephemeral vegetation, dumping grounds,
dirt roads, and populated by urban (Morgan de Rivery 2007, p. 1 S).
squatters.
waterfront has also led to a decrease in lateral
7
movement of water and fish, resulting in a decrease in vegetation, lower water quality, decreased wildlife population, and less ground water recharge. (YJA and Wetlands I nternational, 2OO7)
ln $ftaw[n*lahr8tic - - - 3tF! ara not condnuos ind howment is esiiftd
2.5 Overuse during immersions/religious activities Often during mass bathing such as with the Kumbh Mela pollution levels spike dramatically. This sudden and large increase in pollution can have a profound toll on the local environment and the overall river ecology. (Kulshrestha 2006, p. 438) For example during the 2004 Ardh Kumbh in Hardwat total coliform levels post, the mass ritual bathing was 2.5 times more than before bathing. Out of 10 sample sites, 9 were unfit with pollutants well above the levels permissible for bathing. (Kulshrestha 2006, p.
Photo-7: Connection to riverfront
438)
Photo-8 : Delhi Panorama While issues of river flow and quality are foremost on
our minds, the terrain which facilitated
the
establishment of the sacred or political centres, has
undergone irreversible damage
to
facilitate
increasing populations and human greed for space (Figure-2). The conscious or unconscious turning away from the river and related natural features by our town planners has given birth to an urban centre and people lacking identity. Therefbre, our cities and people today live in an unsual dichotomy of clean lvell maintained private environments and cluttered incoherent public spaces.
Photo-9 : Varanasi Dashashwamedh Ghat
3.
ApproachforFuture
3.1 Respectingthe lndian context Many other cities in the west have channelized the
rivers that flow through their cities, making
-
a
conscious choice of land over water. This should however not influence the decision making for the Canges and Yamuna as these tropical rivers carry larger volumes/ are subject to monsoon flooding, have vibrant riverfront habitats and flood plains that offer immense oppodunities for seasonal agriculture (\tVWF 2012, p. 2).
Riverfronts in other major international cities are often dominated by luxury apartments and upscale businesses. This is not relevant to lndia as the
riverfront associations are rooted in a traditional Figure-2 : Change in the river Therefore, while remodeling the land is one of the lactors contributing to many urban disasters/ we remain oblivious of the thin thread with which our
urban existence hangs in balance. Specifically, limiting monsoon water levels and increased
development along the Canges and Yamuna
socio cultural context and should be accessible to all. Annual monsoon flooding which can increase water levels by up to 2m also implies that these grand riverfront schemes are irrelevant (Morgan de Rivery 20O7, p.22). AIso to be noted is that many cities globally are already in the process of reversing the channelisation attempt to allow their rivers to 'live' agai n (ref
Cheonggyecheon, Seou l). An approach
unique to the context of the Canga and yamuna river systems of the lndian sub-continent is the need of the hour.
permanent waterbodies ('beels, and ,haors,) that
support fisheries. (Nagabhatla 201 0, p. 5).
The ghats, much like the social system, were dedicated to specific uses, sacred, crematory ablution, etc. There was a sensible relationship oi
their location upstream or downstream keeping the 'cuirent
pollution
of the activity in mind. The
government,s decision,
of revitallising the ghats along the urban rivers therefore, is a sigirificanirt"p towards reviving our urban lifeline.
Photo-lO : Nigambodh Ghat panorama 2
3,2 Contemporaryfunctions
of Ghats Ghats have and must continue to perform
a
variety of
complex religious, social, and environmental functions in a limited space. lt is vital to create dynamic places that cater to an array of uses and
users, both in a daily context, as well as seasonally
during festivals thereby maintaining and
enhancing the lndian identity of our rive-rfronts. "uun
All objects and spaces around the ghats should be multi-functional, and multi-dimensiJnd. Open areas can be used for yoga sessions in the morning informal cricket matches in the afternoon and
religious ceremonies during festivals.
Such an exercise requires systematic data collection recording all required elements for specific activities to take place. These must be highly designed spaces with a holistic view of all stakehold"r. i"ho will be
Photo-l1: Sketches The historic lndian model, where part of the banks got developed as ghats as a means of giving access to people so that the rising sun could bl w6rshipped,
involved. Typical plans of
a
Chat is shown in Figure_3.
may hold the key for a viable and contextual soiution as a starting point for a contextual response to urban
riverfronts.
While short stretches were developed into steps to ensure safe access to the river, there was no attempt
to tame the entire stretch of the flow. Flood plains and the related ecological processes were well understood and deeply respected. Recurrent alluvium richness added to ihe post monsoon agricultu-ral landscape and was used for crops making floodplains indispensable for sustaining an
.
urban settlement. Cultural, religious, and traditional economic importance has always been centered on the annual flooding cycle. An attempt to control the
river using contemporary engineering
is
not
economically feasible or respectful of the natural or cultural heritage of the river (WWF 2012, p. 1i).
Maintaining natural floodplains creates jobs and live.lihoods..for. many, provides octremjy fertile
agricultural lands, and creates permanentand semi_
Figure-3 : From city to river
$rl-r frr ghat rcvital ization Ih lny pot"ts for successful revitalization of a Ghat lG
.
. ' .
Slakeholder Workshops - Required to receive a bdaned inputfrom all potential users. DdaAnalysis - Thorough data and site analysis is mandatory to evaluate information and ssrarios that are not apparent DesiBF Depth - Adequate time is imperative to holistically understand and respond to the ghats b ensure a holistic, inclusive, and best practice approach. lvlaintenance - lt is as importantto the success of the project as the design itself ensuring
Fan, L (2012) 'Patterns and its disaster shelter of urban green space: Empirical evidence from Jiaozuo city, China' in African Journal of Agricultural Research, Yol.7(7). Jain P (2009) Sick Yamuna, Sick Delhi - Searching a
Correlation. Del
hi : Peace
lnstitute.
Nagabhatla N and van Brakel M (2010). Landscape level characterization of seasonal floodplains under community based aquaculture: illustrating a case of
the Canges and the Mekong Delta. WorldFish.
Measurement, Learning
longeuity.
Penang:
&
Evaluation (2011)
Baseline Survey Report - Allahabad City. Allahabad:
ff
nc dfected
by human intervention, river systems and manage themselves. p.1) With hundreds of millions of people 2013, {Soni depending on these river basins, it is important to act sensibly and holistically (\ffWF 2012, p.3). World certhe issue of reclaiming riverfronts was dealt with using channelization whereby the flood plains gave nry to concrete edges used for recreational or real estate purposes. However, considering the river as a srstrr.rcted line on the landscape is the initiation of :namy other troubling issues for the future. The survival of the river is fundamental to improving the qnlityof life of the city, and all efforts should ensure its heal*t and vitality into the future. Cetting people
MLE.
re $le to clean, regulate,
b $e
.
river via ghats may serve to restablish a pslrchological connection as well as sacred association- intangible- with the river thereby pofritir/efy influencing urban policy and form as a rippleeffect.
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MEF) (2012), Canga River Basin Environment Management Plan, Covernment of lndia Del hi. Morgan de Rivery P (2OO7l The Waterfront Engine:
Proposal
for a 21st
Massachusetts lnstitute
Century Delhi, thesis,
of
Technology, viewed
September1st,2o14. National lnstitute of Disaster Management (NIDM) (ND) Urban Flooding and its Management. Found at http://nidm.gov. in/idmdProceedings/FloodlB2%2O%2036.pdf. Srivastava S (2014) 'Socio-Economic Dimensions of Kumbh Mela 2013 and the Organizationalfupect of
it: A study'. lnternational Journal of
Management
(UM). Kolkata: lJM.
Without
a
concerted effort
by a range of
V (2013) Environmental flow for
sfiakeholders, it is difficult if not impossible to move
Soni
responsibly towards revitalising
urban
Rivers in lndia: The Yamuna River as a case study. Delhi : Jamia Millia lslamia University.
The eilros of a true democracy should be evident in
WWF-lndia (2012) Assessment of Environmental Flows forthe Upper Canga Basin. Delhi: WWF-India
our
riverfronts.
pblic
space revitalization efforts wherein the
Foess must result in riverfront
spaces
for
Monsoon
the
peoph, of the people, by the people, creating an cnrdronmentthat reconnects the citywith its lifeline.
Wetlands lnternational. Managing Floodplains of River Yamuna in Delhi Stretch. Found at:
Erences
http ://southasia.wetlands.orgAtrhatWeDo/Allourpro jects/tabid/5 39 I modl 6o1 I articleType/ArticleMev/art icleldfi 936/Defau lt.aspx
Ehudmaj, R.W. (ND) 'Overview of Canga Pollution' h Central Pollution Control Board. Found out hm/fnryw.cseindia.org/userfi les/ganga-pol ution-r I
{.rodf.
Cenffid Pollution Control Board (CPCB) (2013) hlhtion Assessment: River Canges. Del h i : CPCB.
Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan (zOOn Yamuna Flood Plains U nder Siege in Del hi. Delhi : Yamunal iye Abhiyaan.