Yamuna Sustainability Park

Art installation on the Yamuna flood plain in the centre of New Delhi September - December 2011

Misused as a sewage canal by the megacity and its industrial plants, the Yamuna River flows through New Delhi along a relatively natural riverbed, comprising extensive flood plains. The first cultural event in the area surrounding the Yamuna took place beneath the Old Yamuna Bridge in December 2011 in the frame of the Yamuna/Elbe Project curated by Ravi Agarwal and Till Krause. This is the part of the flood plain where the Delhi Development Authority had already started work on their controversial Golden Jubilee Park, levelling the grounds with near-natural spontaneous vegetation. In a still unscathed part of the original grasslands, Nana Petzet hung signs with photos of the animal and plant species living within the project area. She presented her concept for an alternative Yamuna Sustainability Park on a wall chart at the entrance to the exhibition grounds. In addition to including grassy areas for locals to relax on, the Yamuna Sustainability Park would ensure the conservation and expansion of the natural biotope, while integrating plots of land where farmers living within the flood plain could grow vegetables.