Sabarmati River In Ahmedabad To Run Dry For Pre-Monsoon Repairs And Cleanup Till June 5

Ahmedabad: For the first time in nearly half a decade, Sabarmati Riverfront, one of the most famous attractions of the city, will be running dry from Monday as major maintenance and cleanup operations get underway. The campaign is expected to last till June 5. The river will be completely emptied to allow crucial pre-monsoon repairs at the Vasna Barrage and to support ongoing infrastructure projects.

Officials from the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL) confirmed that the water release from the barrage has begun, following directives from the Ahmedabad Irrigation Department, the Narmada Water Resources, and the Kalpasar Department. The maintenance includes repairs on the barrage’s 30 gates and the construction of an earthen ramp upstream.

Stretching from Subhash Bridge to the Vasna Barrage, the riverbed in this section will remain exposed for the next few weeks. This is the same stretch where bullet train construction work is currently active, further necessitating the draining of the river.

With the water receded, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and SRFDCL are also taking this opportunity to clean the riverbed. The cleanup initiative, open to public participation, is expected to be a massive effort, especially considering the scale of pollution. During the last major clean-up in 2019, over 500 tonnes of waste were pulled from the river in just five days.

Sabarmati, once a lifeline of Ahmedabad, now ranks among India’s 13 most polluted rivers. Experts warn that its biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels are dangerously high, placing it in the “critical” category for water quality. Until June 5, the dry riverbed will serve as a rare, and sobering, reminder of the ongoing struggle to balance urban growth with ecological health.