Study finds 51 outlets releasing sewage into Vishwamitri
A study after the floods last year reveals that not only are there a large number of outlets releasing sewage water into the river, but the water from the river is also being drawn for irrigation purposes. The survey was done using a UAV (drone) and was the first of its kind conducted for the identification of outfall and lifting points in the river.
The survey was conducted by a faculty member of the Pandit Deendayal Energy University for the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB).
The report lists 64 locations where either sewage water is being released into the Vishwamitri or is being lifted from it. At 51 locations, the survey recorded inlets into the river while water was being drawn at 13 places. The report observes that the inlets were of various types like circular pipes, rectangular or trapezoid outlets, and irregular ones.
The report observed that the highest number of outfalls into the river were situated at locations that could be potentially linked to the larger presence of municipal areas resulting in a higher production of sewer waste.
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Significant differences were also observed in the flow from the outlets during the day. This is believed to be a sign of time-dependent sewage disposal connected to municipal areas.
The report also lists around 50 outfalls in the river by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). The civic body did extensive drone surveys of the river for flood mitigation purposes when these outfalls were also identified.
The findings in the report were recently included in the supplementary report of the committee appointed by the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) that includes activists, experts, and officials.
Environmentalist and a member of the GSHRC-appointed committee, Rohit Prajapati, said that the discharge of sewage water was a violation of orders by the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal. "This issue is not limited to Vadodara. It is an issue elsewhere in the state and the country too," he said. Prajapati added that a major reason was that sewage was not being treated properly. GPCB has also given notices to VMC over its sewage treatment plants.
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