Water Edges: Navigating Inequity & Dilemmas Related To Urban Water In Indian Context | Architecture Thesis

Site Context

The Godavari River, often referred to as the Dakshin Ganga, carries deep cultural and ecological importance as the second-longest river in India. Honoured in ancient scriptures as one of the nation’s four holiest rivers, it plays a central role in countless religious traditions—most prominently the Kumbh Mela, a massive festival held every twelve years that attracts millions of pilgrims and fuels significant economic activity. However, behind this spiritual grandeur is a river facing serious threats.

In recent decades, the Godavari—especially at its source in Nashik—has experienced severe environmental decline. The extensive concretisation of its floodplains and riverbed, including the modification of 17 natural kunds, along with illegal encroachments and heavy vehicular traffic, has significantly undermined the river’s ecological health and the functionality of its surrounding areas. These changes, largely driven by short-term urban and commercial objectives, have diminished the river’s natural resilience and harmed its biodiversity. Addressing these imbalances requires reimagining water as both a natural and cultural asset. This calls for the urgent implementation of equitable architectural interventions, along with comprehensive strategies that promote sustainability and resilience across varying contexts.

Design Process

The first critical step in rejuvenating the precinct and restoring its ecological balance is the de-concretisation of the 17 existing kunds—natural water bodies that function as essential aquifers. This effort anchors a broader strategic framework built on three guiding principles: Adapt, Integrate, and Mitigate.

Adapt: This phase involves re-evaluating current urban planning approaches to better reflect ecological priorities and support pedestrian-friendly environments. Key interventions include:

• Regulating vehicular access and enhancing pedestrian connectivity.
• Relocating functions like parking and markets to designated, less intrusive zones.
• Removing concrete linings from riverbanks and beds to reintroduce natural textures and flows.
• Redesigning the ghats as porous, sponge-like surfaces to boost water infiltration and support groundwater recharge.

Integrate: This principle focuses on strengthening community ties and fostering vibrant public life through spatial and programmatic strategies:

•  Encouraging public participation through cultural rituals and community events.
• Creating interconnected pathways and shared public areas to build social cohesion.
• Establishing green buffers, recreational parks, and biofilters along the riverfront.
• Enhancing the riverscape with terraced landscapes and ecologically responsive design elements.

Mitigate: Focused on building ecological resilience, this phase aims to support the river’s natural dynamics and adapt to environmental challenges:

• Creating space for the river to breathe and flow naturally.
• Using sustainable, permeable materials like gabions to improve the absorption capacity of ghats and riverbeds.
• Restoring the kunds and reinforcing the aquifer system within the riverbed.
• Remediating nullahs and addressing fluctuations in seasonal water flow.

Final Outcome

Architecture is reimagined not as a fixed construct but as a flexible, responsive force—capable of adapting to the shifting needs of the community and the dynamic rhythms of pilgrimage activity. Temporary decks and platforms are introduced to manage increased foot traffic during large-scale events like the Kumbh Mela.

One key example of adaptive reuse is the conversion of an abandoned vegetable market into a dharmashala, providing essential services to pilgrims while preserving the informal character of the area. Additionally, a modular approach to public toilet design ensures that these facilities can be easily scaled up during peak periods. This strategy enhances both flexibility and accessibility, supporting the precinct’s long-term revitalisation and its ability to accommodate major cultural gatherings.

The larger picture of the project is to approach the “River as a whole,” aiming to craft an ideal, almost utopian synergy between nature and culture within society. This initiative aspires to build a purposeful placemaking framework—one where pilgrims, tourists, local residents, and even non-human species coexist harmoniously, their experiences and movements attuned to the natural rhythms of the landscape. The goal is to foster a consciously designed environment that is ecologically sensitive and culturally meaningful, with an impact that transcends the boundaries of the immediate riverscape.

Viewed through both empathetic micro and macro lenses, this approach not only rejuvenates the cultural fabric but also initiates broader environmental and societal transformation. In this context, architecture transcends its conventional role as static form—it becomes a dynamic, adaptive medium attuned to the shifting needs of both people and ecosystems. Equal emphasis is placed on sacredness, spatial scale, and finely crafted human-scale details, ensuring that every intervention resonates meaningfully within its context.

This approach transcends conventional preservation, redefining architecture as a catalyst for resilience, sustainability, and social equity. It envisions the built environment as a living, responsive framework—attuned to both climate crises and cultural shifts—capable of addressing ecological challenges while fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and enduring public realm.

Conclusion: By treating the river as both nature and culture, the proposal lays the foundation for a resilient and inclusive public space where communities and ecosystems can co-exist peacefully. It is a call to shift from exploitation to stewardship, and from static infrastructure to living, responsive environments that embrace change and foster harmony.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]