ગુજરાતી
Environmentalist Rohit Prajapati’s shocking claim – Sabarmati River is not Kamilak River.
Dirty and poisonous water of 1 crore people and 10 thousand industries falls into the river through 52 drains.
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad, 21 January 2025
It is becoming necessary to take steps to reduce the pollution of Gujarat’s ‘Sabarmati River’ and set an example of improving environmental responsibility. After Ahmedabad, Sabarmati river has become the most polluted river of Gujarat. It has turned into a drain. The functioning of STP is not in accordance with the standards of NGT. Under the National Water Monitoring Programme, the water quality of 603 rivers across the country was monitored and tested. Out of which, out of 25 rivers of Gujarat, 13 rivers have been declared polluted, including Sabarmati, Bhadar and 8 rivers of South Gujarat.
3 with 345 mg
Sabarmati is the most polluted river of Gujarat state. If the amount of biochemical oxygen demand i.e. BOD in a river is more than 3 mg per liter then the river is considered to be a polluted river. Sabarmati water has 292 mg BOD. India’s most polluted river is the Cooum in Tamil Nadu, with a BOD of 345 mg per litre. It became a three hundred and fifty times polluted river.
Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati river is seen as the second most polluted river in the country.
Polluted water is continuously flowing into the river from Narol CETP. AMC and GPCB have still failed to stop pollution in the river.
Pollution from 52 places
Environmentalist Rohit Prajapati is a member of the court-appointed joint-task force (JTF) on the Sabarmati river pollution issue. He says that even though polluting industries have been closed, pollution continues. Danilimda has 80 chemical factories and flows from the area. The water comes from the mega pipeline A drone survey by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board said sewage and industrial water and waste from 52 places are being dumped into the river.
mega pipeline
Factory and sewage water is treated and released into Sabarmati through mega pipeline through Common Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ahmedabad city. To prevent the entry of chemicals into Sabarmati river, organizations like Industries Association, GPCB, GIDC, AMC have established Mega Clean Association. A 27 km long magazine has been constructed from Naroda to Pirana for disposal of chemicals etc. coming into the river from the industrial area.
sour claims
Purification of polluted water is claimed by Gujarat Pollution Board and Ahmedabad Metropolitan Government. But it has come to light that polluted water was being released. Now Ahmedabad government is avoiding the responsibility of mega pipeline. The task force investigation has not been conducted for a long time.
CETP
The chemical water is discharged directly into the river. Inspection reports of all the 7 CETPs have not been prepared by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board. City Government, Gujarat Government, Ahmedabad Mega Clean Association and Ahmedabad City Commissioner are responsible for this. Common Wastewater Treatment Plant (CETP) is a facility that collects, treats, and disposes of waste water from industrial and domestic sources. The cluster is designed to treat waste water from multiple industrial sites.
destruction of biodiversity
The Sabarmati River discharges effluents containing substances harmful to humans and the ecosystem. The analytical reports clearly revealed that the effluent discharge norms (like COD, BOD, SS, Chloride, Sulphate etc.) set by Gujarat Pollution Control Board were completely failed. There is no respect or honor for court orders.
poisonous water in the river
Factories are emitting highly toxic pollutants. Despite strong criticism from the High Court, polluted water is being openly released into the Sabarmati river. Harms biodiversity and environment. The High Court has ruled that no treated effluent shall be released into the Sabarmati river after its treatment through the mega pipeline or the Suez Canal. However, both the governments do not accept the order of the High Court. No action is taken against industries or industry associations. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation could not give any concrete answer on the issue of purification of Sabarmati river and Suez treatment plant.
Lie in the name of water treatment
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is also lying in the court. Regarding the capacity of 106 MLD treatment plant, the High Court said, ‘According to the mid-term plan, the officials say that the work will be completed by February 2025, but the tender has not been given, so how can you say that the work is going on. Vasna STP is running at half capacity. The new STPs will come up in 2026, 2027 and 2028. The STP is not working at full efficiency and hence 35 MLD water has to be diverted. It is often said that progress is by no means satisfactory.
step
Action was taken in 2022-23 against 61 industrial units for releasing chemically polluted water into the Sabarmati river. In which 32 units were closed. Show cause notices were given to 12 industries, notices of direction to 16 units and legal notices to one unit. 32 industries were permanently closed but 10 of them were allowed to reopen.
chemical river
Rs 280 crore has been spent for cleaning the river. sabarmati river lifelessThe Narmada River flows through the city.
Its current appearance is artificial—while it may look beautiful, the reality is quite different. Since the construction of the barrage, the river has become a conduit for the discharge of chemicals. For the past three decades, untreated sewage (wastewater) has been dumped into the river. Industrialists also discharge toxic chemicals into it—a situation for which the BJP, which has maintained firm control over Ahmedabad, is responsible.
Directives
The Supreme Court of India has ordered that untreated sewage cannot be discharged into rivers, water bodies, or onto the land. The Court has further directed that industrial units responsible for such pollution be shut down permanently.
Red Soil
Along the riverbanks—extending 50 kilometers downstream—the soil in the fields has turned red. Consequently, farmers have been forced to increase their use of chemicals to maintain crop yields. Water drawn from borewells also appears red.
Standing crops are being ruined, and yields have been halved. River water stains clothing red; the river now consists almost entirely of chemicals. This same water is used to irrigate wheat and paddy crops along the riverbanks, and people consume these very crops. In every village, the number of people suffering from cancer and skin diseases is on the rise.
Sulfates and Chlorides
High levels of sulfates can foster the growth of ‘sulfate-reducing bacteria,’ which produce hydrogen sulfide gas. This gas emits an odor reminiscent of rotten eggs and is toxic to aquatic life.
Excessive sulfate levels in drinking water can lead to intestinal ailments and digestive system disorders. It poses a particular danger to children. Excessive levels of chloride are harmful to aquatic organisms, as they cannot tolerate such high salinity. When river water containing high levels of chloride is used for irrigation, it degrades soil structure and reduces crop yields. High salt content in water can also lead to high blood pressure. Furthermore, the process of bacterial decomposition in the water increases oxygen consumption, which proves fatal for fish and other aquatic life. It may also contain toxic substances. (tranleted from gujarati)
