MoU inked for Martyr's Memorial at Sabarmati riverfront

The Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad will house a Martyr's Memorial (Shaheed Smarak) on the eastern bank. The Ahmedabad Cantonment Board has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for this and work will be initiated shortly.

The Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of the AMC, "based on requests by families of brave martyrs" from Gujarat, has decided to setup the memorial in remembrance of the brave martyrs on the eastern banks of the riverfront.

"We had requested the Gujarat government to have a memorial built in memory of our brave martyrs from Gujarat on the Sabarmati Riverfront. I thank the Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani for accepting that request," said Jagdish Soni, father of martyr Captain Nilesh Soni of the 62nd Regiment, Indian Army.

"As a part of the extension plan of the Sabarmati Riverfront project, the Indian Army has already given us some land on the eastern bank. The army had also proposed some structures on it like a sports complex, an army restroom and a Martyr's Memorial. Right now, the concerned land lies in the river whose reclamation work is ongoing. We have received the conceptual clarity on the project and also in-principal approval. After the reclamation, we will be having the final layout of the proposed plans," said RK Mehta, executive director, SRFDCL.

The first phase of the riverfront extension project will cost around Rs 1,152 crore, while the AMC has allocated Rs 850 crore for the second phase.

The expansion is proposed from the 5.4 km stretch of Dafnala region to Indira bridge on the eastern side and the 4.3 km stretch from Torrent power house to Indira bridge on the western side.

Phase one includes the 11.3 km stretch on the eastern side and 11.2 km on the western side from Vasna Barrage to Subhash bridge.

The Sabarmati Riverfront is a popular site for events and festivals. It hosts annual events like an international kite festival and flower show among others.