India, July 10 -- The Rs.4,700-crore Riverfront Development (RFD) project on 44.4-km stretches along the banks of the Mula-Mutha river is no longer the vibrant space for recreation and relaxation, as portrayed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

Designed to make the riverfront a cultural and recreational landmark for citizens and tourists - with landscaped promenades, cycling tracks, open-air theatres, wellness zones, and gardens - some stretches of the riverfront, however, present a sorry picture, rather than a picturesque one.

These stretches, between Yerawada and Kalyaninagar, have turned into a haven for drug and alcohol dealers and users. Security lapses and absence of regular patrolling have turned these parts of the riverbed...