I live in the city of Ahmedabad for last more than three decades. I have passed over the bridges that connect east and west parts of the city not less than thousands of time in my life. Every day I go to my work place passing over the bridges to cross the river Sabarmati that divides the city in two parts.

The Past

I always wished, but never could cross the river Sabarmati through a boat within my city. Because in early half of the years of my life I saw dry, open, and dusty ground like riverbed without any scope of water transportation. And in recent years when Narmada water has started flowing in this riverbed I witness the Sabarmati River front construction work that fuels hope that one day when this project would be completed, perhaps there would be a water transportation facility available within the city. When my papa visited Holland and showed me pictures of Amsterdam’s canal ferry, my first question was – “Can’t we have the same in river Sabarmati here in future?”

While hoping for the best in future, yesterday I could actually enjoy and experience a glimpse of future.

A Glimpse of future

International Kite Festival – 2010 is underway at Sabarmati River front and one of the activities available here is live experience of water sports in river Sabarmati. You have to pay Rs 30 to hire a common boat and Rs 50 for a round in speed-boat. A volunteer or Rock Zone Adventure(Diu) ties life saving jacket on your chest and you are ready to enter the waters of river Sabarmati. Due to International Kite Festival, the level of Narmada water in river Sabarmati is fair enough for motor-boats and speed-boats. One of the conditions for smooth boating operation is availability of clean water. As Narmada water has been released recently in Sabarmati, the river Sabarmati is at-least clean enough for smooth run of boats.

We some three persons sit in a motor-boat and watch the river-bank and bridges of our own city from inside the boat for the first time in life. Some trained persons are on rafts, and some other are kayaking. The trainers from Diu can train you for such rides, if you are willing to. Our boat-ride ends in about fifteen minutes. A person on River front helps us to come out of the boat.

Presently, about 50 boats are deployed for public at the River front. Some of them are owned by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s Fire and Rescue Services department(known as Fire Brigade) and some other are brought here from the island of Diu in partnership with Rock Zone club.

Yesterday Chief Minister Modi, Member of Parliament LK Advani, many MPs, Ministers and MLAs enjoyed boat ride here. Ahmedabad’s Chief Fire Officer Dastur was excited riding the VIPs on his powerful speed-boat.

The Future

Now let me talk the future. Imagine, if you want to go to Vasna from Gandhi Ashram. Today you have to cross whole Ashram road, facing all the traffic signal junctions, heavy traffic and pollution. Or think if you want to go to Paldi from Dudheshwar, you need to cross a bridge with heavy traffic and then a great amount of pollution, jams and other hardships. But when Sabarmati river front project would be completed and actual results of the project would come into practice, one of the benefits of the project would be a water transportation. A big ferry would carry passengers and travel between various spots. A complete new way of urban transportation would be available. If well connected with surface public transportation and bicycle stands, this would be fruitful alternative way of life for commuters. A project of setting up a Restaurant and River Cruising on the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad is planned by Ahmedabad-based travel company. The company – Akshrar Travels Pvt Ltd has announced to implement the project by 2010 after signing a memorandum of understanding worth Rs 75 crore with the Government of Gujarat last year. The company announced that in its first phase(May 2010) it would introduce five cruises with a capacity of 300 people each and would deploy two cruises each in the second and third phase which would begin in 2011 and 2012 respectively. The River Cruise would be operated from Subhash and Swami Vivekananda bridges. However whether this travel company would implement the project within the time line of its commitment or not, is a big question. Because the company also had announced to organize a month-long Ahmedabad Shopping Festival in January 2010, but in the middle of January, today this announcement is seeing no light on the ground. The government of Gujarat and its then high-profile Chief of Sports Authority of Gujarat Shri Atul Karwal told me before about three years that “the Narmada canal would have all water sports facilities within next four months near Gandhinagar”. But today, even after three years, the project has not seen a light. Such is a stage of implementation of projects in our state. But then in this system, we can always hope for the best. And we should continue to keep hoping. I can surely say that contrary to past decades, today at least we are heading towards a good future.