Howrah River Front Development (Phase- II)
Agartala, in Tripura spans over an area 58.84 sq. kms. with the Howrah river flowing through it. Most of its residents are employed in the State and Central Government as well as other government-owned enterprises. According to the Census of India 2011, the city has a population of nearly 4,00,004 people with a gross density of 6,798 people per sq. km. and an annual growth rate of about 2.91 percent. The city has a high literacy rate with 94.45 percent as well as a high sex-ratio of 999 women per 1000 men. The Howrah river flows through Agartala and is the major river which flows in the Sadar subdivision of the Western District of Tripura.
To develop the river front, as a space for recreation, business and bio diversity conservation the project needs to address the following issues and challenges.
● Due to rapid growth of city’s population, greenery of the city is gradually decreasing and citizens are demanding leisure and amusement facilities.
● Soil erosion in over a century old earthen embankment of Howrah river.
● After the floods in 2016, there has been seepage through the embankment.
● Pollution due to vehicular growth.
● Sanitation issues.
● Disposal of untreated sewage from the houses adjoining the ghats.
● Uncontrolled disposal of solid waste in the river.
● Open defecation have caused major source of pollution in and around the river.
Developing a sustainable waterfront environment along the banks of the Howrah will redefine the identity of Agartala as a tourist destination, enable the growth of a sustainable economy by way of organic gardening, control soil erosion and flooding by strengthening of earthen embarkment and finally to arrest solid and liquid waste disposal by developing sewage and solid waste management system.
To achieve this the project has multiple components, including:
● Strengthening the embankment.
● Provision for adequate sanitation and solid waste management facilities.
● Development of event area, market area, amusement park, riverfront walkway and parking facilities.
● Provision of water recreation facilities.
● Plantation of organic fruits and vegetable gardening and urban forestry.
- Self Help Groups
- Public Space
- Tourist Attraction
- Landscape Design
Through interventions like organic gardening the project focusses on gender integration by providing livelihood for women.