Skip to main content

"Failure" to monitor solid waste discharged into Gujarat canal, despite High Court orders, CAG reports: Environmental NGO

By Our Representative
An Ahmedabad-based environmental group, Paryavaran Mitra, has alleged that despite "efforts" of the Gujarat to clean up Ahmedabad's highly polluted 20 km city stretch of the 80-km long Kharicut Canal -- constructed by the Britishers more than 100 years ago in order to provide irrigation support to 10,200 hectares in Daskroi taluka of Ahmedabad district and Mahemdavad taluka of Kheda district -- things are unlikely to improve.
In a presentation, a copy of which was forwarded to Counterview on the occasion of the World Environment Day, June 5, the environmental group's Mahesh Pandya said, despite two landmark judgments by the High Court, its directions/orders have not being complied with, and there have been blatant violations of law and pollution norms by industrial units in the surrounding areas.
Pointing out that the Kharicut canal, which passes through the eastern industrial and densely populated areas, carries sewage and solid waste of the nearby colonies and untreated waste from industries, the environmental NGO said, no doubt, in May 2018, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) removed 30,000 tons of garbage from the canal, collected over the years, yet there is lack of proper monitoring and cleaning.
AMC has installed 104 CCTVs on 53 locations, which has not serve the purpose and didn’t bring much difference, the NGO contended, adding, the root cause of poor condition of Kharicut canal is the poor performance of the AMC. Thus, there is no timely collection of garbage, nor is there any effort to disconnect the illegal drainage lines laid by citizens and industries into the canal, it added.
Pointing out that government is giving "airy hopes" that the Kharicut canal would be turned into a six-lane road, the NGO said, way back in August 2010 also the state government decided to cover the canal by planning to invest Rs 65 crore to strengthen the canal lining, even as covering the canal by having eight major parks and gardens atop, but none of this happened.
Suggesting that the problem is linked with the way the Gujarat government approaches pollution, the presentation quoted a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, submitted in 2011, which stated that none of the Central Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) discharged treated effluent as per norms of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB).
The CAG report of 2015 again that observed that CETPs were not adhering to outlet norms in discharging effluents, non-disposal of hazardous waste, leading to the pollution of natural water bodies, into which these effluents were being discharged, polluting the ground water as well as soil of the surrounding areas. The monitoring mechanism of GPCB was ineffective, it added.
Then, said the NGO, the CAG report of 2017 said that out of 159, 96 municipalities did not have any proper sewage system, thus solid waste gets accumulated in pits and holes and further spoils crops and contaminates ground water as well as surface water sources. None of the municipalities of the state has technology to purify the contaminated water, it added.
The presentation said, the Water Act 1974, Article 24, prohibits discharge of solid waste into the streams, wells and on land. The solid waste should first get purified and then discharged into the main channel. The principles and rules of the GPCB, too, are quite clear about this. In fact, said the NGO, solid waste should be 100% purified before the final discharge, and 20% of that water should get reused. But these norms are never followed.

Comments

TRENDING

'Very low rung in quality ladder': Critique of ICMR study on 'sudden deaths' post-2021

By Bhaskaran Raman*  Since about mid-2021, a new phenomenon of extreme concern has been observed throughout the world, including India : unexplained sudden deaths of seemingly healthy and active people, especially youngsters. In the recently concluded Navratri garba celebrations, an unprecedented number of young persons succumbed to heart attack deaths. After a long delay, ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) has finally has published a case-control study on sudden deaths among Indians of age 18-45.

SC 'appears to foster' culture of secrecy, does not seek electoral bond details from SBI

By Rosamma Thomas*  In its order of November 2, 2023 on the case of Association for Democratic Reforms vs Union of India contesting constitutional validity of electoral bonds, the Supreme Court directed all political parties to give particulars of the bonds received by them in sealed covers to the Election Commission of India. SC sought that information be updated until September 2023. 

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. 

Only 12% of schools RTE compliant: Whither 6% budgetary allocation for education?

By Ambarish Rai* Despite Indian state’s commitment of 6% GDP on education, the Finance Minister completely ignored right to education for children and strengthening implementation of RTE Act which makes education a fundamental right in her budget speech . The Right to Education (RTE) Forum, which is a collective of different stakeholders in education, condemns this neglect of a legal entitlement, which is unconstitutional and demand for overall increase in the budget to ensure improvement in learning outcomes and overall enhancement of quality education.

Savarkar in Ahmedabad 'declared' two-nation theory in 1937, Jinnah followed 3 years later

By Our Representative One of the top freedom fighters whom BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi revere the most, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, was also a great supporter of the two nation theory for India, one for Hindus another for Muslims, claims a new expose on the man who is also known to be the original proponent of the concept of Hindutva.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Reject WHO's 'draconian' amendments on pandemic: Citizens to Union Health Minister

By Our Representative  Several concerned Indian citizens have written to the Union Health Minister to reject amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted during the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA75) in May 2022, apprehending this will make the signatories surrender their autonomy to the “unelected, unaccountable and the whimsical WHO in case of any future ‘pandemics’.”

'Ambiguous policy': India late in advocating EVs as energy storage in national grid

By Shankar Sharma*  This is regarding the points raised by the Chief Electricity Authority’s (CEA's) advocacy for usage of electrical vehicles (EVs) as energy storage technology, and few associated issues . An objective reading of what he states should reiterate the enormously growing importance of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in our need to transition to a net-zero carbon scenario for the country.

Union Health Ministry, FSSAI 'fail to respond' to NHRC directive on packaged food

By Our Representative  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed deep concern over the adverse health effects caused by packaged foods high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats. Recognizing it as a violation of the Right to Life and Right to Health of Indian citizens, the quasi-judicial body called for a response from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding its selection of front-of-pack labels aimed at providing consumers with information to make healthier choices.