Sabarmati 'cleaned up' swimming pool style: Untreated effluents discharged in river

Gujarat CM overseeing Sabarmati riverfront clean-up drive on June 5, 2019

Counterview Desk
In a fresh letter to the secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, senior Gujarat environmentalists Rohit Prajapati and Krishnakant of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti (PSS) have taken strong objection to the recent clean-up drive of the about 11.3 km stretch of Sabarmati riverbed undertaken by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), terming it as “swimming pool type clean-up.” The river’s total length is 371 km.

According to them, the clean-up drive took place ignoring the “notice” to take action against Central Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs), sewage treatment plants (STPs), polluting industries, and AMC in view of “dangerously very high” Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biological Oxygen Demand(BOD) and zero Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels observed in the water of the river.
Pointing out that the concerned “main officers of the authorities” failed in in their duties to “prevent the river pollution even after repeated letters and complaints sent to them”, as directed by the Supreme Court in its Order, dated February 22, 2017, in Writ Petition (Civil) No 375 of 2012, against all polluting industries for pollution in the river, the letter states, the “consistent violation” of apex court order, which amounts to contempt of court.

Text of the letter:

In our letter, dated April 1, 2019, we have clearly stated that the stretch of the Sabarmati River in the Ahmedabad city, along the entire river, is dry, and within the Riverfront Project stretch, it is brimming with stagnant water. In the last 120 kilometres, before meeting the Arabian Sea, it is “dead” and comprises of just industrial effluent and sewage.
Our joint investigation reports with Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), dated March 12, 2019, are shocking and reveal the disastrous condition of the Sabarmati river in and around Ahmedabad district and about 120 kilometres downstream.
The Sabarmati Riverfront has merely become a pool of polluted stagnant water, while the river, downstream of the riverfront, has been reduced to a channel carrying effluents from industries from Naroda, Odhav, Vatva, Narol, and sewerage from Ahmedabad city.
The drought like condition of the Sabarmati river, intensified by the Riverfront Development, has resulted in poor groundwater recharge and increased dependency on the already ailing Narmada river.
The investigation raises fundamental questions against both, the polluting industries that discharge their untreated effluents into the Sabarmati river, and AMC that discharges their poorly treated and untreated sewerage into the Sabarmati river.
Actually, we should not allow at all any discharge of even so-called treated effluent and sewerage into the river stretch where river is dry. This amounts to murdering the river and it is a criminal offence on the part of the concerned industries, concerned authorities, the Government of Gujarat, and the State of Gujarat.
We demand in our letter dated April 1, 2019 that:

GPCB immediately issues closure notices to all the defaulting industries located in Ahmedabad industrial clusters, in implementation of the Supreme Court Order dated February 22, 2017.
GPCB immediately issues closer notices to all the defaulting CETPs of the Ahmedabad industrial cluster, in implementation of the Supreme Court Order dated February 22, 2017.
GPCB immediately issues notice to the Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad to ensure compliance by all STPs in the area.
GPCB files criminal cases against the all owners/directors of the defaulting polluting industries, the officers of the CETPs, and the Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad.
MoEFCC should not allow at all any discharge of even so-called treated effluent and sewerage into the Sabarmati river stretch where river is dry. This amounts to murdering the river and it is a criminal offence.
GPCB investigates and prepares further detailed reports about the ground water contamination as well as contamination of the food grains, vegetables, and fodder.
Ensure Interim Exemplary Monetary Compensation along with medical services to the farmers and villagers who have suffered from the surface water and groundwater pollution.
Immediately pay Interim compensation per season per acre to the farmers who are forced to use contaminated Sabarmati River water and groundwater for irrigation of agricultural land and, hence, are facing several severe health and related socio-economic problems.
Appoint a competent interdisciplinary committee of officials and field experts to assess the ongoing and past damages to quantify the real compensation payable to the farmers for the damage done.
Implement, in letter and spirit, the Order, dated February 22, .2017, of the Supreme Court in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 375 of 2012 (Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti & Anr V/s Union of India & Ors) and National Green Tribunal, Principal Bench, Delhi Order, dated March 8, 2018 and February 19, 2019, in Original Application No 593 of 2017, (Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti & Anr V/s Union of India & Ors).

Instead addressing the main concerned issues AMC has taken up clean up drive, which looks like swimming pool clean-up.

Untreated effluents discharged into Sabarmati riverbed

It is unfortunate that many so-called consultants and experts consider the River merely a channel carrying water or affluent. Moreover, Sabarmati River now renamed as “Sabarmati Riverfront” or “Swimming Pool” along the Riverfront Project areas.
Pumping water from Narmada canal into Sabarmati river does not really work to rejuvenate her. We, as a society, tried to dry her out and wherever we could not we severely polluted her. Sabarmati river has been made a dumping ground for industrial effluent and sewage. Why should treated or untreated effluents be dumped into her? The Government of Gujarat and AMC, through Riverfront, have apparently tried to kill her.
We should truly revive and rejuvenate Sabarmati river by using ecological restoration science and techniques and begging by dismantling the Riverfront Project by allowing her to touch the soil of the banks and immediately stopping any dumping of industrial effluent and municipal sewage into her.
The misconceived Sabarmati Riverfront Project is the most visible and has also been most criticized by various experts and concerned citizens. If Ahmedabad, the biggest city of Gujarat, takes the lead in correcting past mistakes and doesn’t throw good money after bad money, it will provide a much needed precedent to emulate for other cities and their misconceived river/water front projects. The time is now, legally and morally.
---
*Copies of the letter sent to Dr Susane George Karumanchery, Nodal Officer (CETP/STP/ETP), MoEFCC; chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), member secretary, CPCB; Ajay Aggarwal, additional director and nodal officer (CETP/STP/ETP), CPCB; chief secretary, Government of Gujarat (GoG); additional chief secretary, Forest and Environment Department ,GoG), chairman, Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB); member secretary, GPCB; zonal officer, CPCB, Vadodara; Municipal Commissioner, AMC; collector, Ahmedabad district

Comments

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.

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

What Epstein Files reveal about power, privilege and a system that protects abuse

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* The Jeffrey Epstein scandal is not merely the story of an individual offender or an isolated circle of accomplices. The material emerging from the Epstein files points to structural conditions that allow abuse to flourish when combined with power, privilege and wealth. Rather than a personal aberration, the case illustrates how systems can create environments in which exploitation becomes easier to conceal and harder to challenge.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Beyond the rhetoric: Gujarat’s 2047 promise and its hidden faultlines

By Rajiv Shah A few days ago, I met a veteran Gujarat-based economist, the author of several books offering a critical evaluation of the state’s economy, poverty, and gender discrimination . Also present was a retired Gujarat-cadre bureaucrat with an economics background, known for his popularity in the cities and districts where he served during his heyday.

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

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

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah 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".

Search This Blog