In a bid to revitalise the Sabarmati river here, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has embarked on an ambitious plan to make it pollution-free.
The historical river, which serves as the famous backdrop of Mahatma Gandhi’s Ashram, has faced the brunt of rapid urbanisation over the years as industrial effluents and sewerage lines release a lot of polluted water into it leading to a foul smell, AMC sources said.
“Earlier, the monsoon river, which bisects the city, used to dry up after rainy season. Now the Gujarat government has been regularly filling it up with water from the Narmada. But the water remains stagnant as it is stopped by a Raska Weir to retain the flow and the pollutants released into it add to the stink,” they said.
“Following this, the civic body has drawn up an ambitious plan of Rs 960 crore to stop the pollutants from entering the river,” Special City Engineer of AMC Tarun Lad told PTI.
The project which has been approved by the AMC standing Committee will be sent to the Union Environment Ministry via the state government to include it under the National River Conservation Programme (NRCP), he said.
Also, the AMC has undertaken the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Project to make the river pollution free, thus giving a much needed face-lift to Ahmedabad, Lad said.
“We have prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for abatement of pollution from Sabarmati river, and all related works including setting up of drainage pumping stations, sewerage treatment plants, interceptors for effluents and sewerage released in river and replacing old drainage lines,” he said.
