Skip to main content

Illegal construction activities along Vishwamitri in violation of NGT award


Several of Vadodora’s concerned citizens* have shot a letter to the Union minister for environment, forests and climate change, as also to senior Government of India and Gujarat officials, asking them to directly intervene with the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) to immediately stop all illegal debris dumping, construction, and any other such damaging activities in and around Vishwamitri river, especially at the Kala Ghoda Bridge, within Vadodara city. They have said, VMC’s activities are in violation of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Interim Order dated May 25, 2017, as also the direction by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority dated August 9, 2016, the Gujarat High Court hudgement dated August 2, 2002. Text of the letter:

This is with respect to the ongoing, illegal, and damaging activities in and around the Vishwamitri River that is being done in violation of the Interim Order dated 25.05.2017 passed by the Hon’ble National Green Tribunal (Western Bench) in Application 49 of 2016 (Rohit Prajapati and Anr V/s Secretary MoEFCC & Ors); direction by the No. SEIAA/GuJ/General/512/2016 dated 09.08.2016 passed by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Gujarat passed in the Withdrawal Application for VRDP Project No. SIA/GJ/NCP/4584/2015 dated 05/08/2016 of Vadodara Municipal Corporation; Gujarat High Court Judgement dated 2 August, 2002 in SCA No. 10621 of 2000 (Shailesh Shah V/s State of Gujarat); The Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972; and other Environmental laws. In this regard, the following communication has already taken place with the concerned authorities:
WhattsApp Communication with the Municipal Commissioner of Vadodara Municipal Corporation dated 22.12.2017.
Letter dated 25.12.2017 to all concerned authorities.
Letter dated 03.01.2018 to the Municipal Commissioner, Vadodara Municipal Corporation.


It is amply evident that the Vadodara Municipal Corporation has knowingly and deliberately violated the Interim Order dated 25.05.2016 passed by the Hon’ble National Green Tribunal (Western Bench) in Application 49 of 2016 (Rohit Prajapati and Anr V/s Secretary MoEFCC & Ors); direction by the No. SEIAA/GuJ/General/512/2016 dated 09.08.2016 passed by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Gujarat passed in the Withdrawal Application for VRDP Project No. SIA/GJ/NCP/4584/2015 dated 05/08/2016 of Vadodara Municipal Corporation; Gujarat High Court Judgement dated 2 August, 2002 in SCA No. 10621 of 2000 (Shailesh Shah V/s State of Gujarat); The Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972; and other Environmental laws.
Already major irreversible damage has been done to the Vishwamitri River and is still continuing despite repeated requests and meetings with them. We are attaching relevant photographs taken on 04.01.2018 in this letter. The current work, on the pretext of the bridge, is destroying the habitats of the crocodile currently during its breeding season, other Schedule I species, and the river ecosystem as a whole. Damage is also being done to the heritage structures (Ghats) as well, at the Kala Ghoda Bridge, very much in the channel of and along the Vishwamitri River.
All the concerned authorities have kept silent on this issue and also to our letter dated 25.12.2017.
We request all the concerned authorities to immediately direct the Vadodara Municipal Corporation to stop all illegal activity at the Kala Ghoda Bridge and also all other activities in and along the Vishwamitri River and the riverine environment as a whole.
We urge the concerned authorities to prosecute any / all concerned departments / authorities / parties that are engaged in the above stated illegal activities.
Not doing so is in violation of the Environment laws, applicable interim orders, legal directions, and judgments. All concerned authorities, departments, and parties may have to face legal action.
We look forward to your positive response and immediate action to protect, restore, and nurture the environment.


*Signatories: Rohit Prajapati, environment activist, researcher and writer; Prof Shishir R Raval, landscape architect and ecological planner; Neha Sarwate, environmental and urban planner; Dr Ranjitsinh Devkar, zoologist; Dr Deepa Gavali, wetland ecologist; Dr Jitendra Gavali, botanist; Shakti Bhatt, water resources expert; Dr Arjun Singh Mehta, biotechnologist; Dr Jayendra Lakhmapurkar, hydro-geologist; Hitarth Pandya, educationist and writer; Rutvik Tank, civil engineer and urban planner; and Dhara Patel Mittal, landscape architect and architect.
All photographs, dated January 4. 2018, are of ongoing pre-construction activity (like clearing of vegetation and making an access path for the in the Vishwamitri River at Kala Ghoda Bridge) near, along, and very much inside the Vishwamitri river damaging habitats of Schedule I species, especially the crocodile during its breeding season

Comments

TRENDING

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee  Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar*  Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.

EVMs: Govt must prove beyond reasonable doubt it's upholding mandate for free, fair polls

By Jerald D’souza  With the growth of India’s population, concerns about electoral fraud associated with ballot papers, also began to escalate. In 1989, the People’s Representation Act was amended to enable EVMs to prevent electoral fraud. In 1998, EVMs made their debut during legislative assembly elections and for the first time for general elections in 2004. However, criticisms against the EVMs and questions about their integrity have been raised by political parties, civil society and the general population. On 2 February 2024, there was a noteworthy demonstration of dissent where numerous individuals, including Ambedkarite advocates, legal professionals, and other members of civil society  convened at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding the prohibition of EVMs. In 2024, the Supreme court had slapped down a petition to return to paper ballots on the basis that machines give “absolutely accurate results” unless human bias maligns them. The court stated that it was open to testi...

This Indian British Marxist blamed USSR's collapse in 1991 on Khrushchev's 'revisionism'

By Harsh Thakor*  Harpal Singh Brar, British Indian Marxist scholar and communist leader, has passed away in Chandigarh. He was 85. He was a lifelong supporter of socialism, Marxism, and the working class. He will be remembered among British Communists.

A groundbreaking non-violent approach: Maharishi’s invincible defense technology

By MajGen (R) Kulwant Singh, Col (R) SP Bakshi, Col (R) Jitendra Jung Karki, LtCol (R) Gunter Chassé & Dr David Leffler*  In today’s turbulent world, achieving lasting peace and ensuring national security are more urgent than ever. Traditional defense methods focus on advanced weapons, military strategies, and tactics, but a groundbreaking approach offers a new non-violent and holistic solution: Maharishi’s Invincible Defense Technology (IDT). 

Chalapathi's death in encounter suggests Maoists' inability to establish broader mass support

By Harsh Thakor* The Maoist movement experienced a significant loss during the Ramagudem encounter on January 21, with the death of Chalapathi (Pratap), a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist). His death, along with 15 others, marks a major setback for the movement. Reports suggest that his location was revealed to security forces through a selfie with his wife.

Why do we mostly resist and refrain from communicating on sanitation topic?

By Nikhil Kumar, Mansee Bal Bhargava* According to UN SDG Progress report (2022), at the present moment no targets for SDG 6 are expected to be met by 2030. In 2022, 2.2 billion people had no access to safe drinking water and 3.5 million lacked safe sanitation. Approximately 50% of the world’s population was reported to have been under resourced in enough water for part of the year and a quarter of that population was living under “extremely high” water stress. Add to it, droughts have affected over 1.4 billion people between 2002 and 2021.

CCG raises concerns over Indian State of Forest Report 2023 in open letter to environment minister

By A Representative  The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a collective of former civil servants, has expressed serious concerns over the Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 in an open letter to the Union Minister for Environment, Forests & Climate Change. The group has criticized the report's delayed release, flawed methodology, and misleading claims regarding the state of India's forests.

Govt of India asked to work for release of 217 Indian fishermen detained in Pakistan since 2021

By A Representative  Members of the fishing communities from Gujarat and Diu, Union Territory, held a press conference in Ahmedabad, urging the Union Government to take proactive measures to secure the release of Indian fishermen currently detained in Pakistan. Presently, 217 Indian fishermen, mostly from Gujarat and Diu, are held in Pakistan’s Malir Jail. Of these, 53 have been incarcerated since 2021 and 130 since 2022.

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.