SEOUL :Once a heavily polluted river stream, Cheonggyecheon, which flows through downtown Seoul, the capital of South Korea, now runs with treated and crystal-clear water.
It has transformed into an eco-friendly zone, fostering biodiversity and contributing to the fight against climate change. Additionally, it serves as a flood-receding channel.
This turnaround from a polluted to a pristine river is a revolution in riverfront development and serves as an inspiration for many polluted rivers worldwide, including the Musi river in Hyderabad.
As the Telangana government plans to embark on the Musi riverfront development, aiming to rejuvenate and revitalise the river, it becomes crucial to examine and learn from global examples.
A delegation led by ministers Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Ponnam Prabhakar, along with MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi and Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MAUD) principal secretary Dana Kishore, among others, studied riverfront development in South Korea.
Interestingly, the challenges faced by the Cheonggyecheon and Musi riverfront developments are quite similar. Despite loss of jobs and commercial activities during its construction, South Korea managed to create this ‘man-made river’.
The demolition of the Cheonggyecheon Expressway was met with strong opposition at the time.
Study shows drop in pollution levels
“Storeowners and street vendors, who operated small businesses along the stream, initially opposed the project. However, they eventually realised that the improvements would generate prosperity and make Seoul a better place to live. The completion of this historic project, designed to restore cleanliness, its environment, and human life, culture and tradition to the stream, allowed Seoul to be reborn as an international city that values its environment and human life,” read a sign at the entrance of the riverfront.
Meanwhile, a study by South Korean authorities revealed that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels decreased by 34%, from 69.7 to 46 ppm. Particulate Matter (PM10) was reduced by 19%, from 74 to 60 milligrams per cubic metre. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), a critical index for assessing wastewater pollution, dropped from 100-250 ppm to 1-2 ppm. The project also lowered noise levels, alleviated the urban heat island effect, created a wind corridor and reduced temperatures in the area by 3°C to 4°C. Thermal imaging of Cheonggyecheon and its surrounding streets confirmed these temperature reductions.
Similar devpt possible for TG: Dana Kishore
Reflecting on the transformation of Cheonggyecheon, Dana Kishore told TNIE that a similar development is possible for the Musi river. He suggested that the project could be divided into 10 km segments across the roughly 55 km-long stretch of the river. The gradual transition from an urban landscape to natural ecosystems has now made it possible for various aquatic, terrestrial, aerial and arboreal species to thrive in Cheonggyecheon.
Until the mid-20th century, Seoul’s sewage was discharged into Cheonggyecheon to such an extent that locals wanted to eliminate the river, which once flowed beautifully through the city. The city’s administrators at the time eventually covered the river by constructing an expressway, as the stream had become a grave sanitation threat. A total of 13.7 km of the river was completely covered.
In 1958, the Seoul administration began building a road and flyover, which fully covered the river by the 1960s. The Cheonggye Highway area later evolved into South Korea’s largest commercial hub, with over 6,000 buildings and more than 1 lakh businesses.
However, in 2002, the Seoul administration decided to restore the Cheonggyecheon stream, despite the economic challenges of the early 2000s. The goal was to trigger a paradigm shift in urban development, address environmental issues and reclaim the city’s historical and cultural heritage, as outlined by Dr In-Keun Lee, the then director-general of the Korea Water and Wastewater Works Association, in an official document accessed by TNIE. The project involved revitalising a 13.5 km stretch, restoring historical relics, creating cultural spaces and preserving nature.
Though the project faced challenges during its initial phases, Cheonggyecheon has since become a popular space for recreation, tourism, film shoots and pedestrian walkways.