Vishwamitri Committee flags flood, waste, and ecological risks in Vadodara in successive reports

By A Representative 

The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) has received the second and third reports from the Vishwamitri Committee, a five-member expert panel set up in April 2025 to oversee the rejuvenation of the Vishwamitri River. The committee, constituted under Case No. HRC/2024/PRESS/205/Vadodara City/Legal-1, is composed of environmental and urban planner Dr. Neha Sarwate, environmentalist Rohit Prajapati, zoologist Dr. Ranjitsinh Devkar, botanist Dr. Jitendra Gavali, and architect-urban planner Mitesh Panchal. Its mandate is to recommend appropriate methods for river rejuvenation covering not only the riverbanks but also the demarcated floodplains, tributaries, ravines, wetlands, ponds, and oxbow lakes, and to provide regular progress updates to the Commission.

The committee’s work builds upon the Hon’ble National Green Tribunal’s order of May 25, 2021 (O.A. No. 228/2020, earlier O.A. No. 49/2016 (WZ) and Execution Application No. 45/2016 (WZ), Rohit Prajapati & Anr. v/s Secretary, MoEF&CC & Ors.), which called for the ecological rejuvenation of the Vishwamitri. Since its appointment, the panel has conducted multiple inspections and consultations, submitting four reports so far, including a supplementary report to the first one.

The second report, submitted on July 20, 2025, detailed the river’s biodiversity and stressed that the Vishwamitri sustains a globally unique population of mugger crocodiles alongside turtles, birds, and rich vegetation. It warned that ongoing desilting and debris removal with heavy machinery had disturbed the habitat, while dumping of carcasses, sewage outfalls, and construction waste posed serious ecological threats. The committee observed that obstructions caused by the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway at Sadad village had aggravated waterlogging during the 2024 floods and demanded corrective measures from the National Highways Authority of India. It also highlighted that natural waterways and ravines were being filled or encroached upon, increasing the risk of sinkholes and future flooding. The report recommended urgent mapping of floodplain land parcels, a ban on new developments in flood-prone zones, and the establishment of a semi-statutory watershed authority with experts from multiple disciplines to oversee the Vishwamitri–Dhadhar basin.

The third report, dated August 20, 2025, acknowledged partial compliance by agencies such as the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), Irrigation Department, NHAI, and the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), which shared floodplain maps, drone surveys, and action reports. However, it noted that crucial information—including property data, wildlife mortality records, and comprehensive waste management plans—remained pending. The panel raised strong reservations about VMC’s proposed use of gabion walls for riverbank stabilization, warning that they could cause irreversible damage to the river ecosystem and crocodile habitats if implemented without ecological safeguards. It called for exploring alternatives like coir-based bioengineering and insisted on site-specific designs.

The report also reiterated concerns that the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway near Sadad village obstructed the Dhadhar River’s floodplains, worsening monsoon waterlogging in surrounding villages. It recommended periodic monitoring of natural and engineered stormwater channels, the formation of ward-level waste oversight committees with citizen involvement, and strict enforcement of the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016. The committee further noted that after desilting, the river itself was attempting to restore its natural meanders and slopes, and urged authorities to respect this natural recuperation process before planning new interventions.

Both reports underscore that unless systemic planning, ecological sensitivity, and stricter enforcement of rules guide the ongoing development works—including expressway and bullet train projects—the Vishwamitri River and Vadodara city will remain highly vulnerable to flooding, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.