Vishwamitri revival must include entire floodplain: Experts
The commission tasked the group with submitting regular progress reports. Since then, the experts have been conducting site visits, meeting with officials, and offering recommendations regarding the project. The committee includes environmentalist Rohit Prajapati; environmental and urban planner Neha Sarwate; zoologist Ranjitsinh Devkar; botanist Jitendra Gavali; and architect and urban planner Mitesh Panchal.
In their initial and supplementary reports, the experts noted that current activities along the riverbanks should be seen as preliminary steps toward fulfilling the National Green Tribunal's directives on the Vishwamitri river. They highlighted that the river's floodplain encompasses vital ecological features such as ravines, wetlands and oxbow lakes.
The reports observed that the current focus appears to be primarily on the removal of silt and soil.
While acknowledging the importance of this task over time, the experts cautioned that such soil plays a crucial role in maintaining the river's ecological health and integrity.
They stressed that the removal of debris and municipal solid waste should take precedence, as these are major pollutants that hinder the river system's functionality. Several areas along the river still contain such waste.
The reports also addressed delays in the project, attributing them to setbacks in securing permissions, finalizing tenders, and implementing work on the ground.
These delays, the experts concluded, have contributed to compromises and shortcomings in the project's progress.
Sewage contamination takes a backseat
While flood mitigation has remained the primary focus of the Vishwamitri river project, the issue of sewage pollution appears to have been largely overlooked. According to the expert committee appointed by the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission, the discharge of untreated and partially treated sewage into the river has not been adequately addressed in the context of its rejuvenation.
The report further states that directives issued by the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal are not being implemented in letter and spirit.
Bridges identified as major bottlenecks
The expert committee's reports revealed that the re-sectioning and desilting activities have exposed two existing bridges as significant bottlenecks in the river's flow. These include the old bridge near Siddharth Bungalows in Sama and the Kala Ghoda Bridge. The reports also highlight how ongoing infrastructure projects — such as those by the National Highways Authority of India and the Bullet Train project — have created obstructions within the riverine zone and disrupted natural stormwater drainage paths.
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