Quest for sensible 'Water-edge Response'

The impending emergence of riverfront projects raises a plethora of concerns, especially when there are upcoming projects in our own Aji river, therefore, this leads to the question of relevance and the need to understand waterfront development in its entirety.

Water is essential to all life and has remained the cradle of life and civilization for mankind since its inception. The religious significance of the water is physically manifested in Ghats (stepped– flat landings) that form the vital ‘Land and Water Interface’. Besides serving as a site for religious bathing and cremation, the Ghats are also tied to people’s livelihoods and are an inseparable part of their daily lives. The constantly increasing urbanization along with adversely affecting multipliers like highly polluting industrialization and severely dense population has already blown a ‘Death Siren’ of such an essential element of ecosystem and humanities.

Several studies done by the central and state governments, many individual scholars and researchers have revealed the fact that most of water-bodies and watercourses are severely dilapidated and many are even in extremely deteriorated condition due to fatal aspects like pollution and contamination. The scenario of other water bodies and watercourses is more or less same in almost all remaining urban areas due to existence of the same root causes irrespective of whether its Sea or River, Lake or Reservoir, Water Spring or Waterfall and whether its Beach or Riverbank, Ghat or Waterfront.

In the quest for finding sensible response to questioned ‘Water-Edge’, keeping ‘Ecology and Development’ hand in hand; one must understand following determinants which will decide the fate of question:

• Present Policy for ‘Water-Edge Development’ and its approach.

• Assessment of governing factors, parameters and stakeholders through thorough analysis.

Notion of ‘Water and Water-body as a Natural resource and national property’ and as a ‘Holy element of mankind’.

• Genesis behind the present condition of ‘Water-Edge as city’s litter bin, sewer disposal point and illegal activities hub’. • Genesis behind the present condition of

‘Water-Edge’ as encroachment and slum development, unhygienic and squatter habitation, Socio-cultural depravedness and environmental degradation.

• Potentials of ‘Water-Edge Development as the city’s spine for Infrastructure, transportation and communication’.

• Potentials of Water-Edge Development as the city’s hub for leisure, recreation, civic and community gathering, art-craft-folk-music and literature promotion and exchange.

• Potentials of Water-Edge Development as an inclusive and integrated development approach, sensitive and systematic planning, land-use appreciation and appropriateness, business exploration and promotion, and habitation expansion.

Adaptive Traditions of the Eastern Waterfront of Mumbai, India

Zixin (Sing) Chen, Student ASLA