Sabarmati : Aravalli to Cambay

River Sabarmati originates from Aravalli hills in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan. The Sabarmati is said to have derived its name from the term Svabhra (Svabhramati was its ancient name) which translates to crevices as it is said that the river travels mostly through crevices.

Before Sabarmati enters Ahmedabad city, it is fed with waters from the Narmada canal which helps it retain its flow throughout the year.

As the river enters Ahmedabad city, it loses its identity of a free-flowing river and is surrounded by urbanization on both the banks. But this was not the case always. Initially, when the city was established in 1411 by Ahmed Shah of Gujarat Sultanate, he chose the eastern bank of  the Sabarmati to populate the city. Later  the construction of the first bridge, Ellis Bridge in 1892, and the further construction of bridges in the first half of the 20th century, led to the growth of the city, on both the eastern and western banks of the river. Before these bridges were built, people used to cross the river on boats or by foot during the dry season. 

Initially called   ‘Lakkadiyo ka pul’ (wooden bridge),  the old Ellis Bridge was heavily damaged due to the floods in September 1875. Thereafter, a new stronger Ellis Bridge was ordered by the Britishers, for which iron was imported from Birmingham. The new Ellis Bridge was constructed in 1892 by a Gujarati Engineer Himmatlal Dhirajram Bhachhech and it was named after Sir Barrow Helbert Ellis, who was the commissioner of the North zone.

Before the Sabarmati Riverfront Project came up, the Sabarmati river used to have a huge riverbed on both the banks. The riverbed served many purposes for the people of city especially for those living along the banks of the river. 

For the project, a separate body, the ‘Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation’ was formed under the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in 1997. The river has been streamlined to a uniform width of 263 metres, with waterfront development along both banks, each covering around 11 km. It was inaugurated in 2012, and since then it has been partially opened for the public as the development of the riverfront is still on. Lands have been reclaimed on both the eastern and western banks of the river and the locals residing there have been relocated. The construction of the riverfront led to the abandonment of multiple activities which used to happen at the banks of the river such as washing, dyeing and drying of clothes and the weekly flea market held on Sundays. Both the banks have been beautified with artificial construction and development of parks and recreational centres. Apart from these recreational spots; commercial buildings and various other constructions have been planned around the riverfront. Although the project has been appreciated for its urban planning, it has also been  criticized for its negligence towards the environment and natural water flows.

As soon as the river leaves Ahmedabad after the Vasna Barrage, it becomes a dumping ground for the city’s waste. It also gets severely polluted by the effluents discharged in it by various industries such as textile and chemical industries. 

Towards the end of its journey,  the Sabarmati  again enjoys the beautiful landscape around it as it passes mostly through barren lands with little urbanization. However, the river continues to be polluted through the wastes and effluents it receives from nearby towns and small cities along its way.

About the project :

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The principal intent behind this project is to unravel the history of the Sabarmati River through photography-archives collected from various sources, to inform, and infuse introspection amongst the city’s inhabitant’s, policymakers and a broader audience on its importance in the state of Gujarat.

 

Raj Maurya a Photography Design student at the National Institute of Design (NID) India's Gandhinagar campus worked on this project as his graduation project with guidance from Rajesh Vora (Photographer and NID Alumnus) and Rishi Singhal (Discipline Lead, Photography Design, NID Gandhinagar). This project was supported by  Living Waters Museum and Murthy Nayak Foundation. (Published in 2022)

About Raj Maurya

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Raj Maurya is a photographer, archivist, researcher and communication designer whose practice revolves around art, culture and heritage. He has a keen interest in the History and Cultural Heritage of the Indian sub-continent. He has done his Masters in Photography Design from the National Institute of Design and currently working as Cultural Mapping Fellow for the project 'Mera Gaanv Meri Dharohar' under National Mission on Cultural Mapping by the Ministry of Culture. (Published in 2022)