Debris "fill up" 44 lakh sq ft wetland in Gujarat's cultural capital, as Vadodara fares poorly in cleanliness index

By A Representative

Vadodara, Gujarat’s cultural capital, is in spot. Top state-based environmentalist Rohit Prajapati and a group of “concerned citizens”, have shot a letter to senior government officials expressing concern that, over the last 12 years, according to the Gujarat Ecology Commission, the city has lost about 44 lakh sq ft of ponds and talaav areas, “much of this due to illegal or legalized dumping by the VMC and unscrupulous citizens.”
Pointing out that 16 out of 41 ponds do not exist anymore, the letter, addressed to the Vadodara Municipal Commissioner, Union and state environment secretaries, and state urban development secretary, among others, quotes a recent report as saying that, as a result, in “swachchhata” (cleanliness) ranking, Vadodara’s best ward (Ward No 4), is 728th in the country and 53rd in Gujarat.
Pointing out that Vishwamitri river, passing through the city, and its environs (tributaries, ravines, and wetlands), “have been used as the dumping grounds for solid and liquid wastes and, especially, construction debris for the last several decades”, the letter alleges, “The situation has exacerbated in the last few since demolition and renovation activities have increased in the city.”
Insisting that “this does not set a good example for the city with aspirations to be a Swachchh City by October 2, 2019 and a leading Smart City of India in the 21st century”, the letter says, “It is high time that the concerned government agencies and citizens take steps to clean up and restore all the water bodies, especially the tributaries, ravines, and wetlands associated with the river.”
The letter expresses special concern over “illicit or permitted” dumping of sewage and industrial liquid wastes and pollution into the water bodies, especially in the Vishwamitri river and its environs”, removal of soil from various sites, ponds, and ravines in the city-region; and immersion of idols and materials and remains from religious rituals into the water bodies.
Pointing out that despite inspection of the sites on June 20, nothing concrete has been done to clean up the environs, the letter says, “The Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, have not being implemented since day one, though these do not require intense technical know-how and could have been easily implemented.”
It adds, “The ‘flooding’ and waterlogging woes after the recent showers (not regular monsoon rains yet!) in the city, has only given us a glimpse of the serious environmental problems and health issues that can arise if the natural storm water system is not addressed.”
The letter warns, “We would like to reiterate that superficial efforts and lip service will not be adequate to address the above mentioned issues and we will be left with no other choice but to take up this grave issue to its necessary legal action.”
Those who have signed the letter are Dr Deepa Gavali, wetland ecologist; Prof Shishir R. Raval, landscape architect and ecological planner; Neha Sarwate, environmental and urban planner; Shakti Bhatt, water resources expert; Dr Jitendra Gavali, botanist; Dr Jayendra Lakhmapurkar, hydro-geologist; Rutvik Tank, civil engineer and urban planner; Dr Ranjitsinh Devkar, zoologist; Dr Arjun Singh Mehta, biotechnologist; and Dhara Patel, landscape architect; and Hitarth Pandya, educationist and writer.

Comments

Gujarat Information Commission issues warning against misinterpretation of RTI orders

By A Representative The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has issued a press note clarifying that its orders limiting the number of Right to Information (RTI) applications for certain individuals apply only to those specific applicants. The GIC has warned that it will take disciplinary action against any public officials who misinterpret these orders to deny information to other citizens. The press note, signed by GIC Secretary Jaideep Dwivedi, states that the Right to Information Act, 2005, is a powerful tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration. However, the commission has observed that some applicants are misusing the act by filing an excessive number of applications, which disproportionately consumes the time and resources of Public Information Officers (PIOs), First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and the commission itself. This misuse can cause delays for genuine applicants seeking justice. In response to this issue, and in acc...

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat* As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.

'MGNREGA crisis deepening': NSM demands fair wages and end to digital exclusions

By A Representative The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

Job opportunities decreasing, wages remain low: Delhi construction workers' plight

By Bharat Dogra* It was about 32 years back that a hut colony in posh Prashant Vihar area of Delhi was demolished. It was after a great struggle that the people evicted from here could get alternative plots that were not too far away from their earlier colony. Nirmana, an organization of construction workers, played an important role in helping the evicted people to get this alternative land. At that time it was a big relief to get this alternative land, even though the plots given to them were very small ones of 10X8 feet size. The people worked hard to construct new houses, often constructing two floors so that the family could be accommodated in the small plots. However a recent visit revealed that people are rather disheartened now by a number of adverse factors. They have not been given the proper allotment papers yet. There is still no sewer system here. They have to use public toilets constructed some distance away which can sometimes be quite messy. There is still no...

Rally in Patna: Non-farmer bodies to highlight plight of agriculture in Eastern India ahead of march to Parliament

P Sainath By A Representative Ahead of the march to Parliament on November 29-30, 2018, organized by over 210 farmer and agricultural worker organisations of the country demanding a 21-day special session of Parliament to deliberate on remedial measures for safeguarding the interest of farm, farmers and agricultural workers, a mass rally been organized for November 23, Gandhi Sangrahalaya (Gandhi Museum), Gandhi Maidan, Patna. Say the organizers, the Eastern region merits special attention, because, while crisis of farmers and agricultural workers in Western, Southern and Northern India has received some attention in the media and central legislature, the plight of those in the Eastern region of the country (Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Eastern UP) has remained on the margins. To be addressed by P Sainath, founder of People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), a statement issued ahead of the rally says, the Eastern India was the most prosperous regi...

India's health workers have no legal right for their protection, regrets NGO network

Counterview Desk In a letter to Union labour and employment minister Santosh Gangwar, the civil rights group Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI), writing against the backdrop of strike by Bhabha hospital heath care workers, has insisted that they should be given “clear legal right for their protection”.

As 2024 draws nearer, threatening signs appear of more destructive wars

By Bharat Dogra The four years from 2020 to 2023 have been very difficult and high risk years for humanity. In the first two years there was a pandemic and such severe disruption of social and economic life that countless people have not yet recovered from its many-sided adverse impacts. In the next two years there were outbreaks of two very high-risk wars which have worldwide implications including escalation into much wider conflicts. In addition there were highly threatening signs of increasing possibility of other very destructive wars. As the year 2023 appears to be headed for ending on a very grim note, there are apprehensions about what the next year 2024 may bring, and there are several kinds of fears. However to come back to the year 2020 first, the pandemic harmed and threatened a very large number of people. No less harmful was the fear epidemic, the epidemic of increasing mental stress and the cruel disruption of the life and livelihoods particularly among the weaker s...

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification.

Counterview

Search This Blog