Why in news:

• Urban Development & Housing minister of the Rajasthan government recently took stock of the work progress at Chambal riverfront site during an official tour of Chambal River in a boat along with other officials.
• With a whopping budget of Rs 700 crore, the Chambal Riverfront Project is set to change the face of coaching city Kota.

Key Points:

• Besides visiting other development works in the city on the second day of his six-days tour to Kota, Urban Development & Housing minister and Kota North MLA sailed through Chambal River in a boat along with other officials and took stock of the work progress at Chambal riverfront site.
• Terming the riverfront as an amazing tourist spot and a source of employment generation for local youths, the mnister directed officials to complete the project by March.
• He also asked engineers to maintain quality of work and materials.
• Designed on basis of Hadoti and Rajputana architecture, the riverfront is being constructed on a 3km-stretch on both banks of Chambal river and is situated at the entry point of the Kota city near Landmark coaching zone.
• Besides 22 newly built ghats, the riverfront would be adorned with various facilities that include a café, handicraft bazaar, skating area, painters lane, art galleries, restaurants, kids zone and yoga street.
• In addition, the front will have a giant Chambal goddess statue, world’s largest bell, a tall buddhist 3D statue, Nehru statue, amphitheatre, laser show, sculpture park and wi-fi riverfront.
• A 40-metre high statue of Chambal Mata, claimed to be the state’s largest statue, and a statue of Maharana Pratap are other popular tourist spots on the riverfront.
• Moreover, claimed to be the world’s largest, bell of 9.5 meters in diameter will be installed on the Ghat and a waterfall into Chambal from the urn of Chambal Mata would be another attraction of the Riverfront.
• Besides, more than 22 other places that included a World Heritage Street, Rajasthan Heritage Street, Sahitya Chowk and Spiritual Ghat are also being built by combining both sides of Chambal banks.
• There will be boats, food streets of 12 countries, handicraft markets and beautiful gardens over 3 Km stretch of the Riverfront.
• From Kota barrage to the Nayapura bridge, the pictures of the country and the world will be visible on the Rampura side on the river front, while on the side of Saktapura, there will be visions of splendor of Rajasthan.
• Work on the Riverfront is being done by the Urban Development Trust with its own financial resources.

By: A D Singh