Skip to main content

Highly polluted in downstream, Sabarmati riverfront cannot be considered a model: Pune urban rivers dialogue told

By Our Representative
A recent dialogue on urban rivers, held in Pune, has reached the conclusion that the much-hyped Gujarat’s Sabarmati Riverfront Project in Ahmedabad cannot be considered a model for other cities to follow, as a similar project, planned for Vadodara, the state’s cultural capital, has been “dropped” following public outcry.
Participating in the dialogue, a presentation by Neha Sarwate, a planner from Vadodara, revealed that the Sabarmati model was adopted by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation to develop its Vishwamitri river, passing through the city. But as Vadodara citizens “raised a series of issues and started a campaign proposing alternative ways of developing the river”, the city authorities were forced to cancel it.
Organized jointly by the well-known environmental advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) and a high-profile NGO, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), during the dialogue on urban rivers Gujarat’s top expert Bimal Patel, who originally conceptualized the Sabarmati project, admitted that Sabarmati is “not an example of river rejuvenation project.”
Suggesting that in the original plan for the Sabarmati riverfront project did not visualize taking water from Narmada, Patel reportedly told the dialogue that it did not even involve “cleaning the river, but only transferring the sewage downstream and channelizing the river with concrete embankments”, adding, no ecological alternative was considered either.
Bimal Patel
Patel also admitted that Sabarmati river, as of today, “is no more a river with flowing water but a lake with stagnant water, that too sourced from Narmada river.” Agreeing that Ahmedabad has no right over the Narmada water, he said, “The project only happened because it has a mass appeal “many people – lakhs of people, wanted it to happen”.
The sharp admission has come against the backdrop of a Central Water Commission report identifying Vautha, a spot downstream of Sabaramti before the river merges into the sea in the Gulf of Khambhat, as one of the dozen most contamination sites across India requiring "immediate attention to remedy the river waters as far as drinking purpose concern." 
Ironically, the Government of India, over the last four years, has considered Sabarmati riverfront development as a model for other cities to become “smart.” The “model’s” highlights, propagated by the officialdom, include features like concrete walkways and parks along Sabarmati, but there is no word on what happens to the river in the downstream of Ahmedabad.
Meanwhile, well-known water resources expert Shripad Dharmadhikary, one of the participants at the dialogue, has commented, “Attracted by this, many cities in the country – including Pune – have decided to go for riverfront development using this very model, and in fact, are also engaging the very same consultant who designed the Sabarmati project, HCP Design Planning and Management Pvt Ltd.”
Officially envisaged as “a comprehensive development of approximately 11 kilometres of length on both the banks of the Sabarmati to bring about an overall environmental improvement, social upliftment and sustainable development along the riverfront”, Dharmadhikary says, “In reality, what the project has done is to convert these 11 km of the river in the city into a large elongated lake, with a barrage at Vasana holding the water.”
Shripad Dharmadhikary
He adds, “Sabarmati has little water of its own, and what is standing right now in the ‘riverfront’ is the water from river Narmada, emptied into the Sabarmati from the Narmada main canal at the upstream end. This water is from the Sardar Sarovar dam, whose construction despite displacing lakhs of people and destroying the environment had been justified for the need to take waters to the dry farms of Gujarat.”
Amidst news that Narmada waters will not be available for Sabarmati next year onwards, Darmadhikary says, now the project planning to sell some 15-20% of the space along the river to big corporates and star facilities to make the project “self-financed”. He wonders, when, after next year, no Narmada waters will be available for Sabarmati, whether the 11 km stretch would be filled with “with Ahmedabad’s treated sewage.”

Comments

Narasimha Reddy said…
Musi River Front in Hyderabad is being modelled on Sabarmati river front project.
Unknown said…
While the project has been called "River Rejuvenation", the fact that it will eventually end up being a series of stagnant pools of water which will require machines to clean the water artificially is admitted by the project proponents. This calls into question the whole approach to this so-called "River Rejuvenation".

From the Detailed Project Report

Aeration fountains are proposed to maintain the desired DO level in the stagnant water. These fountains are located at 15 locations in the total stretch of 44 km. It is recommended to operate these fountains for a minimum of 15 minutes in an hour. The frequency shall be higher in summer.
Aeration systems induce circulation and add dissolved oxygen throughout the water body, helping to mitigate the damage caused by excessive nutrient loading. Floating fountain aerators will be used as aeration system. Submersed aeration systems release oxygen directly into the water column at precise locations, and work extremely well for circulating large areas of water and increasing oxygen levels in deeper water bodies. Other advantages of providing revolving aerators/ aeration fountains include improving water quality, reducing algae growth, removal of foul odour, enhancing habitat for aquatic organism, reduction of viable mosquito breeding habitat and reducing accumulation of bottom sediment.

TRENDING

Reducing emission? India among top nations whose coal as energy source going up

By NS Venkataraman*  The State of the Global Climate report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that the year 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global temperature of 1.4 degree celsius above pre-industrial 1850-1900 base line.

Lockdown 'total failure' of science more than of politics: Open letter on 4th anniversary

Counterview Desk  In an open letter to fellow academicians, scientists and medical practitioners in India, marking the fourth anniversary of India's lockdown (25 March 2024), the Managing Committee* of the Universal Health Organisation (UHO) has insisted on the need to "repair two years of immense damage to science".

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor*  Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

'Wrong direction': Paris NGO regrets MNC ArcelorMittal still using coal-based steel

By Rajiv Shah  A new report by Paris-based non-governmental research and campaigning organization, Reclaim Finance, has blamed the MNC ArcelorMittal – formed in 2006 following the takeover and merger of the western European steel maker Arcelor (Spain, France, and Luxembourg) by Indian-owned Mittal Steel – for using use “climate destructive” metallurgical coal for its projects in India.

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Attack on foreign students: Gujarat varsity's reputation, ranking at stake, say academics

Counterview Desk  Expressing anguish over the attack on international students in Gujarat University hostels, a letter claimed to have been signed by 122 current and former academics has asked the Gujarat Vice Chancellor, Dr Neerja Gupta, to provide emotional support to the attacked students and to ensure their physical safety.  

As double engine takes backseat in Odisha, BJP is pitted against 'firmly rooted' BJD

By Sudhansu R Das  BJP has got 25 years to build its party base in Odisha. After 25 years, it felt helpless and insecure to fight elections on its own strength. The party was almost crazy to have an alliance with the ruling BJD in Odisha.  Looking for alliance at the time of election shows that the party has not groomed its grassroots level workers into potential leaders.  The state BJP leaders woke up and convinced the Central leaders that they are capable of going solo; the alliance was stillborn. The question is can BJP defeat BJD which is firmly rooted in Odisha after launching piles of populist programs in the state.