Gujarat: Relocation of crocodiles may not be needed during Vishwamitri-desilting, say officials after ‘smooth’ mock drill

The “mock-drill”, VMC officials said, was in preparation to begin the work the moment the Standing Committee finalised the tender for the 25-kilometer river stretch. Besides forest officials, teams of the VMC’s engineering, fire, garden, and zoo department were present in Kalali where the exercise was carried out with hydraulic excavators and other machines.

VMC Commissioner Dilip Rana said the civic body had decided to “assess” the ground reality of the project to try to find solutions to any possible hiccups in completing the work on the ground. Rana told The Indian Express that the mock drill was “smooth”.

Rana said, “The flood-mitigation project is expected to begin shortly; the project is in the tendering stage. We want the ground to be ready for the work to commence immediately. The work is being done as per the recommendations of the Navalawala committee…”

Rana said the VMC used its own machinery to execute the experimental dredging and desilting on the 55-meter stretch and did not encounter any conflict with crocodiles. “We do not think we need to relocate the crocodiles because on Tuesday, we faced no issue when we deployed our machinery to conduct a section of dredging and desilting to understand how it will be on the ground when the actual work begins… We are hoping to start by March 10 after finalising the contractor. The tender is currently in the evaluation stage.”

Speaking to The Indian Express, Standing Committee Chairman Dr Sheetal Mistry said that while conducting the mock drill, the teams spotted about six crocodiles in the 55-metre stretch that were “unaffected” by the activity around, giving hope that the civic body may be able to complete the project without physical relocation of the crocodiles.

Mistry told this newspaper, “We came across about six crocodiles today and they did not show signs of agitation as we did not interfere with them… We did have the forest and zoo team as well as the cage ready. The idea was that in case a human-mugger conflict arises during the actual work, the rescuers will keep crocodiles temporarily in the cages and they will be released at the same spot after the completion of the work.”

Mistry said that since resectioning of the river was a part of the VMC project, basking crocodiles may need to be shifted. The project, when complete, is estimated to increase the carrying capacity of the Vishwamitri by about 50%, he said.

Mistry said, “The current carrying capacity of the Vishwamitri river is about 700-800 cumec. After resectioning, as per the technical calculation, the carrying capacity will be about 1,100-1,200 cumec. The August 2024 flood was about 1,500 cumec; so, effectively the flood will be mitigated to a large extent as the flowing capacity of the river will also increase due to the widening of the bank, wherever possible… We will be increasing the width as much as possible. The spot where the mock drill was conducted can see a widening by about 15 metres on both the sides to increase the width to 45. It will make a difference.”

Mistry said that at each section of the river, where the project will be simultaneously undertaken by mid-March, the VMC will deploy teams of three engineers, three clerks, a supervisor along with fire, zoo, garden and forest officials. “A total of 18 lakh cubic meter of silt will be excavated and 240 hectares of jungle-cutting will be completed within about 120 days,” Mistry said. The VMC will dispose of the debris in open plots located close to the different section areas of the river.

Officials of the VMC said that the work was being carried out as per the prescribed environmental norms and in line with the order of the National Green Tribunal.

Earlier, while granting the clearance to the VMC to continue the project, State-Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has emphasised that the VMC must follow the May 2021 order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in the case filed by Rohit Prajapati of Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, which had issued directions for implementation of the “Vishwamitri River Action Plan”, including steps for removal of unauthorised structures, demarcation and protection of flood plain zone and other action points as per the river restoration plan.

In its order of May 25, 2021, the NGT had directed the VMC and the state government authorities to prepare a plan of “demarcation of the entire flood plain zone of the river” as well as “plantation and maintaining the integrity of the river in totality”, which would include removal of all unauthorised structures, as per the river restoration plan. In its order, the NGT had observed that the river consists of catchments, floodplains, tributaries, ponds, river-bed and adjoining ravines which, along with the soils and vegetation on both sides, is the river’s natural mechanism to retain the additional water, prevent floods and provide habitat for various species. It is a natural, living organic part of a larger ecological system. The Vishwamitri River Action Plan should include demarcating, protecting, and restoring the river, and maintaining minimum environment flow in a time-bound manner.

The SEAC, a committee under SEIAA, which conducted an independent study of the Vishwamitri issue, has also observed that “around 40% Vadodara” was submerged under flood waters of Vishwamitri River, prompting the state government to direct the VMC to immediately start the necessary work to prevent flood situation in Vadodara city. “The work requires removing debris and silt from the river… to be completed before August 2025. By this activity, the carrying capacity of the river will increase up to 1,100 cumecs, significantly reducing flood by 51%,” the SEIAA states.