Unbridled urban growth a threat to Sabarmati river’s health

The hustle and bustle of modern Ahmedabad may have made you insensitive to the beauty of the Sabarmati but Sunday being World River Day, spare a thought for this river with a mellifluous name.

The Sabarmati has been witness to important events of history, from the age of the myths to the Indian freedom movement.
Hindu mythology says Rishi Dadhichi lived on the bank of the Sabarmati. When the gods were threatened by the demon, 'Vitra', Rishi Dadhichi made a 'Vajra' out of his bones and gifted it to Indra so that the demon could be defeated. In modern times, yet another sage, Mahatma Gandhi, set up the Satyagrah Ashram on the bank of Sabarmati.

The Ashram later became the unofficial headquarters of the Indian freedom movement. However, now the health of the Sabarmati is under threat owing to the fast pace of urban and industrial growth in the city. This is a source of worry for it is still a major source of water for the city. Water is regularly released from the Dharoi dam and, subsequently, from Narmada canal upstream. It should be noted that for years the riverfront in the city remained neglected and characterised by unimaginative and unplanned development. Its potential to provide the city recreation facilities remained untapped.

The Sabarmati Riverfront Development Project of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation will give a facelift to the riverfront.

It will become the city's most happening place with public infrastructure, museum, recreational parks, sports facilities, and vast new gardens over a vast stretch of riverfront land. Moreover, the project will improve the quality of its water Interceptors set up to stop sewage-contaminated stormwater from flowing into the river and prevent dumping of industrial waste will improve the quality of water.

"Around 227 million litres of sewage per day contaminate the river water. This will be pumped to treatment plants before being released into the river," said Captain Dilip Mahajan, executive director of Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd (SRFDCL).