Notice to take action against CETPs, STPs, Polluting Industries, and Amdavad Municipal Corporation in view of Dangerously Very High COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) and zero DO (Dissolved Oxygen) levels observed in the water of Sabarmati River.<\/p>\n
It is now known and admitted reality that untreated and poorly treated industrial
\neffluent and sewage of Ahmedabad city have made Sabarmati River very critically
\npolluted. Recent joint investigations on 12 March 2019 by Paryavaran Suraksha
\nSamiti and Gujarat Pollution Control Board, of the pollution levels in the prime water
\nsource of Ahmedabad District has again confirmed the challenging reality on ground.
\nCopies of the reports are attached herewith this letter.
\nThe stretch of the Sabarmati River in the Ahmedabad city stretch, before the
\nRiverfront, is dry and within the Riverfront Project stretch, is brimming with stagnant
\nWater. In the last 120 kilometres, before meeting the Arabian Sea, it is \u201cdead\u201d and
\ncomprises of just industrial effluent and sewage.
\nOn 12 March 2019, the Regional Officers Mr Tushar Shah and Ms Nehalben Ajmera
\nof Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Rohit Prajapati and Krishnakant of Paryavaran<\/p>\n
Suraksha Samiti, Social Activist Mudita Vidrohi of Ahmedabad, Subodh Parmar,
\nLawyer of Gujarat High Court, conducted a joint investigation. This was conducted in
\nthe context of implementation of the Order, dated 22.02.2017, of the Supreme Court
\nin Writ Petition (Civil) No. 375 of 2012 (Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti & Anr V\/s Union
\nof India & Ors) about the status of industrial effluent and sewerage discharge into the
\nSabarmati River stretch of Ahmedabad District. The investigation reports are
\nshocking and reveal the disastrous condition of Sabarmati River in and around
\nAhmedabad District and about 120 kilometres downstream.
\nSabarmati River no longer has any fresh water when it enters the city of
\nAhmedabad. The Sabarmati Riverfront has merely become a pool of polluted
\nstagnant water while the river, downstream of the riverfront, has been reduced to a
\nchannel carrying effluents from industries from Naroda, Odhav, Vatva, Narol, and
\nsewerage from Ahmedabad city. The drought like condition of the Sabarmati River
\nintensified by the Riverfront Development has resulted in poor groundwater recharge
\nand increased dependency on the already ailing Narmada River. The investigation
\nraises fundamental questions against both, the polluting industries that discharge
\ntheir untreated effluents into the Sabarmati River, and the Ahmedabad Municipal
\nCorporation that discharges their poorly treated, untreated sewerage into the
\nSabarmati River. The Gujarat Pollution Control Board's top cadre officials have failed
\nin their duties and responsibilities to protect the Sabarmati River\u2019s water quality,
\ninspite of the Supreme Court Order dated 22.02.2017, directing strict compliance of
\neffluent treatment standards, continuous monitoring, and closure of defaulting
\nindustries and Orders dated 03.08.2018 and 19.02.2019 of the National Green
\nTribunal, Principal Bench, Delhi, in Original Application No. 593 of 2017, (Paryavaran
\nSuraksha Samiti & Anr V\/s Union of India & Ors) for implementation of the Supreme Court order.
\nThe alarmingly critical and dangerous levels of pollution, far exceeding permissible
\nlevels, as recorded in the investigation report, are summarised below:
\na) The Water in Sabarmati Riverfront has 4.66 mg\/l DO, 98 mg\/l COD, 28 mg\/l
\nBOD, 96 mg\/l Sulphate, 153 mg\/l Chloride, and 668 mg\/l TDS.
\nb) The First Outfall of STP of Ahmedabad after Vasna Barrage (After Sabarmati
\nRiverfront) 160 MLD has 337 mg\/l COD, 139 mg\/l BOD, 108 mg\/l Sulphate,
\n186 mg\/l Chloride, and 732 mg\/l TDS.
\nc) The Second Outfall industrial effluent of Ahmedabad after Vasna Barrage \u2013
\nStrom Water Drain from DaniLimda (After Sabarmati Riverfront) has 1301
\nmg\/l COD, 536 mg\/l BOD, 462 mg\/l Sulphate, 933 mg\/l, Chloride, and 3135
\nmg\/l TDS.
\nd) The Third Outfall of STP of Ahmedabad after Vasna Barrage (After Sabarmati
\nRiverfront) 800 MLD has 587 mg\/l COD, and 218 mg\/l BOD.
\ne) The Fourth Outfall of Industrial Effluent from Naroda, Odhav, and Vatva
\nindustrial Estates (Mega Pipeline) after Vasna Barrage (After Sabarmat<\/p>\n
Riverfront) 40 MLD has 1052 mg\/l COD, 210 mg\/l BOD, 863 mg\/l Sulphate,
\n4025 mg\/l Chloride, and mg\/l 9813 TDS.
\nf) The Fifth Outfall of Industrial Effluent of Narol after Vasna Barrage (After
\nSabarmati Riverfront) 100 MLD has 1126 mg\/l COD, 427 mg\/l BOD, 743 mg\/l
\nSulphate, 1600 mg\/l Chloride, and 5290 mg\/l TDS.
\ng) The Sabarmati River 100 meters after STPs and Industrial Effluent Outfall has
\nBDL (Beyond Detection Limit) DO, 1009 mg\/l COD, 447 mg\/l BOD, 612 mg\/l
\nSulphate, 1665 mg\/l Chloride, and 4368 mg\/l TDS.
\nh) Miroli Village pumping station 21 downstream of Vasna Barrage has BDL
\n(Beyond Detection Limit) DO, 151 mg\/l COD, 33 mg\/l BOD, 188 mg\/l
\nSulphate, 491 mg\/l, Chloride, and 1466 mg\/l TDS.
\nThe following investigation report speaks for itself.
\nInvestigation by Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti and Gujarat Pollution<\/p>\n
We would like to emphasize that two STPs sewage discharges, and 3 three
\nindustrial effluent discharges which are critically polluted, critically higher than the
\nprescribed norms are being dumped into the location downstream of Vasna Barrage,
\nonwards which the Sabarmati River is completely dry. Actually, we should not allow<\/p>\n
5<\/p>\n
at all any discharge of even so-called treated effluent and sewerage into the river
\nstretch where river is dry. This amounts to murdering the river and it is a criminal
\noffence on the part of industry, concerned authorities, Government of Gujarat, and
\nState of Gujarat.
\nThe pathetic and dismal condition of the Sabarmati River is a cause of grave
\nconcern for the health of the people of the Ahmedabad city and the villages around
\nSabarmati River downstream of Riverfront who rely on the river water for their daily
\nuse and livelihood. Some of the major direct and indirect effects of the high levels of
\npollution on the people and environment includes contamination of ground water,
\nfood contamination, associated health hazards, loss of natural river habitat, depletion
\nof ground water levels due to lack of water recharge, loss of flora and fauna, etc.
\nUrgent action is necessitated in light of these findings to rejuvenate and restore the
\nSabarmati River and its water quality, which calls for the strict implementation of the
\nSupreme Court Order by the concerned authorities.
\nWe demand that:
\n1. GPCB immediately issues closure notices to all the defaulting industries
\nlocated in Ahmedabad industrial clusters, in implementation of the Supreme
\nCourt Order dated 22.02.2017.
\n2. GPCB immediately issues closer notices to all the defaulting CETPs of the
\nAhmedabad industrial cluster, in implementation of the Supreme Court Order
\ndated 22.02.2017.
\n3. GPCB immediately issues notices to the Municipal Commissioner of
\nAhmedabad to ensure compliance by all STPs in the area.
\n4. GPCB files criminal cases against the all owners\/directors of the defaulting
\npolluting industries, the officers of the CETPs, and the Municipal
\nCommissioner of Ahmedabad.
\n5. MoEFCC should not allow at all any discharge of even so-called treated
\neffluent and sewerage into the Sabarmati river stretch where river is dry. This
\namounts to murdering the river and it is a criminal offence.
\n6. The GPCB investigates and prepares further detailed reports about the
\nground water contamination as well as contamination of the food grains,
\nvegetables, and fodder.<\/p>\n
7. Ensures Interim Exemplary Monetary Compensation along with medical
\nservices to the farmers and villagers who have suffered from the surface
\nwater and groundwater pollution.
\n8. Immediately pay Interim compensation per season per acre to the farmers
\nwho are forced to use contaminated Sabarmati River water and groundwater
\nfor irrigation of agricultural land and, hence, are facing several severe health
\nand related socio-economic problems.
\n9. Appoint a competent interdisciplinary committee of officials and field experts
\nto assess the ongoing and past damages to quantify the real compensation
\npayable to the farmers for the damage done.
\n10. Implement, in letter and spirit, the Order, dated 22.02.2017, of the Supreme
\nCourt in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 375 of 2012 (Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti &
\nAnr V\/s Union of India & Ors) and National Green Tribunal, Principal Bench,
\nDelhi Order, dated 03.08.2018 and 19.02.2019, in Original Application No.
\n593 of 2017, (Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti & Anr V\/s Union of India & Ors) in
\nletter and spirit.
\nWe expect your prompt and positive response in the interest of lives, livelihoods, and
\nenvironment of all the concerned areas cities, towns, villages, and hamlets around
\nthe Sabarmati River.
\nIf you do not act now, your inaction shall be considered as non-compliance of the
\nHon\u2019ble Supreme Court order, dated 22.02.2017, in our PIL \u2013 Writ Petition (Civil) 375
\nof 2012 and may invite further necessary actions against all above-mentioned
\nculprits.
\n– Rohit Prajapati Krishnakant Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Notice to take action against CETPs, STPs, Polluting Industries, and Amdavad Municipal Corporation in view of Dangerously Very High COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) and zero DO (Dissolved Oxygen) levels observed in the water of Sabarmati River. It is now known and admitted reality that untreated and poorly treated industrial effluent and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paUKPQ-2Sc","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/allgujaratnews.in\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11048"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/allgujaratnews.in\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/allgujaratnews.in\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allgujaratnews.in\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allgujaratnews.in\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11048"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/allgujaratnews.in\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11049,"href":"https:\/\/allgujaratnews.in\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11048\/revisions\/11049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/allgujaratnews.in\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allgujaratnews.in\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/allgujaratnews.in\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}