MVRDV’s non-profit work on the Barapullah Springs project in New Delhi received a boost last week after the announcement of a new Indo-Dutch partnership – capped by a visit from Dutch royalty, as King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands toured India on a five-day state visit. 

At the 25th CII India Netherlands Technology Summit, India and the Netherlands announced partnerships on eight technology projects, including the design by MVRDV, Arup and CITYBLOB to turn an open sewer in the Indian capital into an eco-boulevard. To mark the announcement of the partnership, the King and Queen visited the site of the proposal on Tuesday.

The 12.5-kilometre Barapullah open sewage drain runs through the centre of New Delhi, discharging 1.6 million litres of unsanitary wastewater into the Yamuna river. Working on a non-profit basis alongside Arup and CITYBLOB, MVRDV’s plan will turn this heavily polluted drain into a clean and safe eco-boulevard that, rather than dividing the city, connects Delhi’s neighbourhoods, historic treasures, hotels, and metro stations.

A closed underground sewage system will be added to the green backbone to separate the polluted water from rainwater, while on ground level the extensive landscaped public spaces will facilitate sport, cultural, and community activities and connect neighbourhoods from each side of the old drain.

Main image by Burhaan Kinu via the Hindustan Times