A committee of environmental experts formed to supervise the ongoing desilting and dredging project of Vishwamitri river along its approximately 50-km course has raised concerns over “obstructions” in the water flow due to ongoing projects of the National Highway Authority of India’s Mumbai-Delhi Expressway as well as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor or the bullet train project, both in close proximity to the river course, according to a report. The development comes two months after the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) directed two departments — Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), responsible for the project in the city limit, and the Narmada and Water Resources, Water Supply (NWRWS) and Kalpsar Department which supervises it in district areas — to rope in the expert committee. The report submitted by the committee, which was made public on Tuesday, states that since the intervention activity of the VMC and Irrigation Departments are limited to the riverbanks of Vishwamitri River and not in the floodplain areas that include ravines, wetlands, oxbows and so on, “The focus of this initiative seems to be to remove only ‘silt and soil’. removal of debris and municipal solid waste should be the priority and focus to rejuvenate the river system. In the present scenario, the dumping of untreated and partially treated sewage in the context of river pollution has not been addressed towards the rejuvenation of the river.” The report, especially points at the works undertaken by NHAI related to expansion of surface and bridges of the existing National Highway (NH) 48 as well as the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway, which has caused temporary, semi-temporary and permanent obstructions at some locations, stating that “obstructions in the riverine areas and natural storm water ways that impede the effective flow of water…” The report further states, “The completed works related to the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway (Bharuch-Vasad stretch) by NHAI have created permanent obstructions in natural flow of water during the rains from east to west. This creates a bottleneck situation at Dhadhar river near Sadad village of Vadodara district, and impedes the effective flow of water. As a result of this, the surrounding villages were also waterlogged in the monsoon of 2024. These impediments were not addressed proactively and in a timely manner by the concerned authorities, who were then repeatedly asked to share their action plans, which have not yet been received.” ‘Pillars at multiple locations in river bed’ The committee had also pointed out that the ongoing Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project also “has constructed their pillars at multiple locations in the river bed, on the river banks and active flood plains of the Vishwamitri River” that resulted in incomplete works of desilting and bank stabilisation. The report states, “During our meetings, it was conveyed to us that a linear infrastructure railway project does not require environmental clearances. The various required permissions that were sought and received by them are awaited. The remedial plans for these obstructions were not addressed proactively and in a timely manner…” In a supplementary report submitted by the committee, after the NHSRCL reply was received, the committee said, “The desilting and bank stabilization works that were unable to be completed by the VMC and the irrigation departments in their respectives sections due to the ongoing work of the bullet train, will be undertaken by the NHSRCL…” In its reply to the VMC on May 21, the NHSRCL submitted 10 documents that included Exemption from EC (Environmental Clearance) and CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) to railway projects, Right of Use Permission for Vishwamitri River, Cross section detail of all Vishwamitri River crossings, Note on action plan for clearance of temporary structures and post-construction restoration, superimposition of the Vishwamitri Alignment Plan with MAHSR (Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail) pier location on the flood plain map, among others. The NHSRCL also shared a crocodile protection management plan. The letter, signed by Akshaya Kumar, Chief Project Manager of Surat, said, “We affirm that all construction activities undertaken within the Vishwamitri River are in compliance with applicable norms and regulations…” Waterlogging issue In its report, the committee has also pointed out the reason for waterlogging in the city areas without the impact of river flood. The report states, “Ad-hoc re carpeting of roads in the absence of topographic considerations have led to an increase of road levels, resulting in waterlogging during rainy days.The aquifer — confined and unconfined — and the subsurface flow data need to be acquired and analysed to resolve sinkholes and waterlogging…” Rohit Prajapati of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti — the organisation that had moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Western Bench, questioning the activities planned by the VMC as part of the project in 2016 — told The Indian Express, “Without keeping in mind the contour of the city, the road height has been increased in various parts of the city, which is obstructing the waterways and inviting internal flooding.” Prajapati is also a part of the committee appointed to ensure that the May 2021 order of NGT, which had issued directions of 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, were to be followed. Prajapati added: “The paver blocks laid on several roads and sidewalks have also obstructed aquifers and the flow of water under the surface. This can be remedied by undertaking water recharging at a city level and not just in isolated spots.” Stating that the present project of desilting “may reduce the flood risk”, Prajapati said, “The flood from Vishwamitri may reduce as it cannot be denied that the carrying capacity of the river has increased but the intervention is limited to the riverbank and the flood plain has not been considered. The aspect of removal of debris outside the bank, especially encroachments is an issue. At many places the vegetation from the bank has been removed unnecessarily and it may lead to erosion of the bank.” The committee also pointed out that a lack of coordination between the VMC and the Irrigation Department has caused a lag in the widening of the confluence point of the Vishwamitri with Dhadhar river at Jambuva. The report also states that the officials have concluded that “it is not manually possible to divert the water at Ajwa reservoir below 211 feet and therefore, the proposed work on the spillway has not begun at Ajwa”. VMC Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu told this newspaper that the civic body had taken up the issue with the NHAI regarding the obstructions. Babu said, “The NHAI had to clear obstructions from approximately 70 places, of which they claim to have completed 36 sites. However, since it has not been to our satisfaction, I have taken up the issue with the Gujarat NHAI officials. They have cited an issue with the contract, but we have asked them to resolve their problem and clear the obstruction. The VMC is as concerned about this as the committee…” Babu said that the VMC has also asked the NHAI to make culverts under the roads of the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway to allow flow of water and also clean the canals that are located along the project. Babu added that the NHSRCL has assured that it would clear six sites within the VMC limits, where the obstruction is present, by July. “The NHSRCL has been willing to comply and also responded positively and so, by July the places where there is an obstruction will be clear,” Babu said. The VMC Commissioner added that the civic body has taken up the issue of expediting the work being undertaken by the Irrigation Department outside the jurisdiction of Vadodara city. Babu said, “We have raised the issue with the irrigation department to ensure that the work on the confluence point in Jambuva is done in accordance with the recommendations of the Navalawala committee. They had cited some land acquisition issues and we took it up with the District Collector, who has assured that the matter will be resolved. So, hopefully, this work will be expedited.” The SHRC was hearing a matter pertaining to the safety of the citizens of Vadodara and their properties in the city, which was “of utmost importance”. The SHRC had taken cognisance of a report in The Indian Express dated August 30, 2024, titled ‘Name Change, DPR and 14 years later, Vishwamitri revamp still on paper’, published following the floods witnessed in Vadodara last year. The report highlighted that although the state government had announced a new project at a cost of Rs 1,200 crore to mitigate the floods in Vadodara city, the VMC and other authorities had delayed implementation of the Vishwamitri river project, first tabled in 2008, despite appointing multiple consultants and rechristening the project on two occasions in the past. According to the SHRC order dated April 1, the VMC and the NWRWS were directed to appoint the expert team, which will now comprise Environmental and Urban Planner Neha Sarwate, Environment Activist, Researcher, and Writer Rohit Prajapati, PhD, Zoologist Dr Ranjitsinh Devkar, Botanist Dr Jitendra Gavali and Architect and Urban Planner Mitesh Panchal. The SHRC directed the VMC as well as the Irrigation Department to ensure a visit by the team of environmental experts every 15 days as well as a review meeting with the Municipal Commissioner and District Collector. A report is to be submitted to the SHRC following the exercise.
