New Delhi: After missing five deadlines and just ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan, Kota’s much-awaited 3-km-long Chambal riverfront vista project will be inaugurated Tuesday by Shanti Dhariwal, MLA from Kota North and the Urban Development and Housing Department Minister.
The Rs 1,200-crore project, designed by architect Anoop Bartaria, comprises 22 river ghats, including Sahitya Ghat, Bal Ghat, and Hadoti Ghat, dozens of ornate pillars, eight archways, a 40-metre-high Chambal Mata statue, the second-largest musical fountain after Barcelona’s Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, the largest statue of Maharana Pratap in Rajasthan, and the world’s largest bell weighing 82,000 kg.
Initially, the project was to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, but in a post on X Tuesday, he stated that he would not be able to attend the inauguration “due to unavoidable reasons”. He, however, added that he will be present to attend the programmes planned for the next day.
Speaking to ThePrint Monday, Kamal Meena, executive engineer at Urban Improvement Trust (UIT) — a statutory body established by the state government in 1970 for the development of Kota city and the nodal agency for the project — said the entire city had been decorated for the opening of the riverfront.
“(Bollywood actors) Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have been invited to the programme while the entire Rajasthan cabinet will also participate,” he added.
The Congress-led government in Rajasthan has reportedly appointed Padukone and Singh as brand ambassadors for Kota, and they will promote the education hub as a tourist spot on the theme “Kota nahi dekha to kya dekha (you’ve seen nothing if you haven’t seen Kota)” for a year.
The state government has also claimed that the Chambal riverfront project, one of many river rejuvenation projects across India, will be the grandest. Speaking to ThePrint in July, Kota’s senior town planner, Mahavir Singh Meena, had said: “This riverfront will stun everyone.”
The project has, however, drawn criticism from environmentalists who have said that it won’t do any good for the Chambal river, as well as local residents who have alleged that their homes have borne the brunt of the construction work.
ThePrint had reported in July that the Chambal riverfront was completely cemented with no greenery. When asked about this, Meena said: “Changes have now been made in it and plants have been planted at various places.”
The riverfront project previously missed completion deadlines in March 2022, December 2022, March 2023, May 2023, and July 2023.
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A grand inauguration
The Chambal riverfront is said to be the dream project of Dhariwal, whose aim is to save Kota from floods and put it on the tourism map.
Addressing a press conference in Jaipur Friday, Dhariwal had said that Kota’s development model would be discussed in India in the coming days. “In the coming days, Kota will become synonymous with development,” he told reporters.
Meena said Monday that, prior to the inauguration, Dhariwal had visited the riverfront to take stock of all preparations.
The inauguration event will also include a Rajasthani folk dance programme that will be held on the riverfront, according to sources in the Kota administration.
Meena said that a separate city park will be inaugurated Wednesday and a cabinet meeting will be held there led by CM Gehlot. Besides, a cultural programme will be organised at Umaid Singh Stadium Wednesday evening, in which 25,000 people are expected to participate.
The administration sources told ThePrint that Chambal riverfront work had been completed in a short time but the inauguration date extended several times, most recently because of administrative reasons and the news of suicide of students in the city.
With the assembly elections round the corner, it is also believed that the Congress will highlight the project among voters.
Dhariwal has further announced that no fee will be charged for visiting the riverfront for two months.
When asked about the political implications of the cabinet meeting being held in Kota, Congress’ Rajasthan spokesperson R.C. Choudhary told ThePrint Monday: “This is a very important event. And it can only be called the politics of development.”
He added that “things related to the state, and matters related to Kota such as students’ issues, will be decided in the cabinet meeting”.
Environmentalists cry foul
The riverfront project has been in the crosshairs of environmentalists since it is built near a dam.
Brijesh Vijayvargiya, convenor of Chambal Parliament who has been working on issues related to the Chambal river for the last two decades, had told ThePrint in July that even though the riverfront vista was being inaugurated, it would not do any good to the Chambal river.
“The Chambal river is in the ICU. It needs purification instead of beautification,” he had said.
He added that many big drains fell upstream from the Chambal river, due to which its water was getting polluted. “Instead of treating the river, cosmetic surgery is being done by building a riverfront,” he alleged.
Mohammaduddin, who lives in Ladpura, a locality just behind the riverfront, told ThePrint Monday that work has been going on in full swing for the inauguration for the last few days.
“Roads have been painted and LED screens have been installed at various places so that people in other parts of the city can also watch the inauguration ceremony of the riverfront. But how many tourists come to see it will be known only after two-three months,” he said.
He also alleged that while the riverfront was being constructed, the people living around it had suffered a lot. “Huge walls have been built in front of our house. Now, neither light nor air comes properly,” he said.
Kota, a coaching hub for competitive examinations, has over recent decades earned the reputation of a high-pressure laboratory for students. According to estimates, every year more than 2 lakh children come to the city for coaching classes.
There has also been the spectre of rising student suicides, with 23 deaths reported so far in 2023, including nine in May and June alone.
Dhariwal said Friday that the exam aspirants coming to the city as well as their parents will speak about Kota across the country, due to which it will emerge as a tourist destination.
This story has been updated to reflect latest developments.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)