Industrial waste in Sabarmati river off Vasna barrage: The other side of "prestigious" Ahmedabad riverfront

Off Vasna barrage, where Sabarmati riverfront ends

By Jatin Sheth*

We, myself and two volunteers, visited our holy river, Mother Sabarmati. As per our Hindu culture, rivers have been given the status of mother, since it provides water for our drinking and agricultural needs. And, certainly, we are proud of our culture.

The pipeline discharging industrial waste water

We were stunned to see the condition of our holy Sabarmati just beyond Vasna barrage -- industrial effluents of Naroda, Odhav, Vatva and Narol industries were being discharged into the river.
And, the pipeline has been laid under a contract between industries associations and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC)! Our domestic drainage water is also discharged here only.
The river passes through at least 100 villages. The villages are inhaling the bad-smelling air round the clock for the last 15 to 20 years.
People who could afford to avoid this bad smell have migrated, but the rest are suffering from poor health and horrible social conditions.
I invite spirited young volunteers to join me for two days’ journey by foot through these villages to understand the magnitude of the problem.
The programme can be worked out after receiving the response.

Farmers using polluted water for irrigation

The farmers from this place to the river's entire route, up to Khambhat, where the dirty river meets the sea, use this effluent for irrigation to produce vegetables and sell at Jamalpur markets in Ahmedabad!
Ultimately, the poison also enters our bodies through these vegetables, making us victims of several diseases, including cancer.

Talk with officials

We also visited the AMC's refuse station, where our garbage is transferred from motor vans, which come to our homes to collect garbage into large trucks.
The AMC has been spending lakh of rupees for publicity, telling citizens to segregate dry and wet waste, but it was shocking to know that both types of garbage is dumped here, together!
We made representation to AMC senior office bearers such as the solid waste director, deputy commissioner (Swacch Bharat Abhiyan) and discussed the matter.
It was shocking to know that AMC has yet to build the required infrastructure.
---
*Senior Ahmedabad-based activist, who visited Sabarmati river between Vasna barrage and Gyaspur village. Source: Author’s Facebook timeline. For videos click HERE, HERE and HERE. All photos and videos by Jatin Sheth

Comments

Unknown said…

India has many such shocking problems. They all need to be solved but where are the finances and resources such as power and energy?. India's population is too large by a factor of 10 to 20 considering the resources. These problems are not going to go away in the foreseeable future unless there is a major breakthrough in energy production.
Out of millions of such problems perhaps 1% can be addressed and of course everyone wants his problem addressed. One potential though a partial solution is a change of lifestyle and consumption. Live like Mahatma Gandhi and avoid all frivolous consumption and uses like plastic packaging etc.

August 19, 2018

Nita Mahadev said…

Two years ago, along with Jethinbhai Sheth, we had gone along the Khaticut canal to the villages downstream beyond the Shastri Bridge. People of the villages are tired of talking to anyone. They have made so many representations to the authorities, yet nobody wants to listen to them, they say.

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