Sabarmati’s toxic flow : pollution crisis deepens

Ahmedabad, Gujarat — The Sabarmati River, a lifeline for Ahmedabad and a symbol of Gujarat, continues to be a dumping ground for industrial pollutants, with recent water samples revealing disturbing discolouration and confirming widespread contamination despite repeated condemnations from the Gujarat High Court.

 “The water showed distinctly coloured water at different points: yellow under Shastri Bridge, black between Pipalaj and Kamod, green near Kasindra, and red on the Dholka Highway near Saroda Bridge,” stated environmental activist Swapnil Soni, known locally as the “Monkey Man,” who collected the alarming samples on Monday. His observations, now sent for laboratory testing, reignite concerns that have festered for years, pointing to a severe environmental crisis.

Soni’s current findings resonate with grim echoes of the past. Just three and a half years ago, independent lab tests on Sabarmati water samples revealed a quality so degraded it posed significant threats to both human health and agricultural soil integrity. The river, which originates in Rajasthan’s Aravalli Hills and flows 371 km to the Arabian Sea, has borne the brunt of unchecked industrial growth over the past two to three decades, coinciding with a dramatic increase in the discharge of toxic chemical waste.

The activist, a resident of Narol, alleges that hundreds of industrial units in areas like Narol and Pipalaj routinely discharge toxic chemical water into the river under the cover of darkness. This nocturnal dumping, he claims, not only devastates surrounding soil but also carries pollutants downstream to the Gulf of Khambhat, severely harming wildlife along the riverbanks.

More disturbingly, Soni levels accusations of systemic corruption, alleging “widespread coordination among government departments to allow polluted water discharge into the river, with claims of fixed rates for dumping chemical-filled tankers.” He asserts that key regulatory bodies – the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Revenue Department, Amdavad Municipal Corporation, and the police – possess the authority to intervene but remain “inactive,” citing unnamed sources privy to this alleged nexus.

A report from October 2021 paints a stark picture of the river’s plight, revealing dangerously high levels of pollution indicators. Samples collected near agricultural fields between Nana Chhapra village, Bakrol Bridge, and Miroli-Navapura showed:

BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand): Samples ranged from 78.2 to 158.4, significantly exceeding the normal range of 6-9.

COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand): Readings soared from 1,036 to 1,310, far surpassing the normal range of 5-50.

TDS (Total Dissolved Solids): All samples registered “Excessively high,” far beyond the normal range of 25-250.

These metrics are crucial indicators of organic and chemical pollution, underscoring the severity of the contamination. The 2021 report also documented abnormal values for pH, total solids, suspended solids, volatile suspended solids, chloride, sulfate, calcium, and magnesium, further attesting to the comprehensive degradation of the river’s water quality.