PLANNING FOR REDEVELOPMENT OF MULA AND MUTHA RIVERFRONT IN PUNE CITY

Abstract

Riverfront development is a very sophisticated name given to an activity which springs out of a primordial instinct; returning back to where we started. Life began in water and man always settled on the waterfront. Riverfront development is the exercise of achieving that utopian state in the only setting where it is possible; the waterfront. Most cities, at some point of time, have turned their backs to the river on whose banks they spawned. This has led to the decay of the river and the city. The "Decay" takes place in many ways. An un-kept water channel results in frequent floods. An ineffective drainage system increases the chances of draught. A damaged Riparian ecosystem deals a striking blow to the environment of the city. An unsightly riverfront reduces the charm of a city considerably. Pune and its rivers are decaying. In fact, nearly every city which has seen uncontrolled, exponential growth has been through this at some point of time. Some have put things in order by addressing these issues, London being an example, and have continued on the path of progress while others have ignored it and regressed. If Pune is to survive, it will have to address the issues plaguing its waters and waterfronts. Otherwise, the city runs the risk of decaying from the inside. In order to have a workable and sustainable solution, the only option is to go for an integrated development. This can be attributed to the fact that the river and its basin form one system and by treating just a part of it, one is not sure what the consequences will be in the other parts and how these consequences may affect the part under consideration. The journey of water through Pune will be treated as one metabolic process. The premise of this thesis is that riverfront development in the real sense is not just restricted to the river and the riverfront but includes development of lakes, springs, drains and groundwater too, among other things. Thus the thesis will address to the Mula-Mutha basin in general and the riverfront in particular. Solutions will be given for other water bodies like the lakes and na/as (drains). Riparian rights of the downstream users will be considered. Factors like climate change, future water demand, etc. will be given due weightage. This thesis will try to bring home the point that holistic riverfront development is the best way not only to restore the lost charm and refurbish the core of the city but also to turn the economic fortunes of the city for the better by attracting investment and providing ambience and space for varied activities. The endeavour will be to explain how the long term social, economic and environmental benefits of a healthy riverfront are much more than the sum of various short-sighted actions like concretization of the river channel and restricting human access.