INTRODUCTION

Water is super abundant on the planet as a whole, but fresh potable water is not always available for human or ecosystem use. The importance of water is underscored by the fact that many great civilizations in the past sprang up along or near water bodies and most developmental activities are still dependent upon them. The development of water resources has often been used as yardstick for socioeconomic and health status of many nations worldwide. However, pollution of water often been neglected the benefits obtained from the development of these water resources. Rivers have always been the most important fresh water resources; river water finds multiple uses in every sector of development like agriculture, industry, transportation, aquaculture, public water supply etc. but surface waters are most exposable to pollution due to their accessibility for disposal of wastewaters. Huge loads of waste from industries, domestic sewage & agricultural practices find their way into rivers, resulting in large scale deterioration of the water quality.

The River arises in the Aravalli Hills, which roughly mark the Western boundary of Udaipur District, i.e. Mount Abu area, and flows in a South-Westerly direction. It is approximately 371 km in length. The main tributaries of the are Wakal, the Harnay, the Hathimati, the Vatrak, the Meshwa & the Sei Nadi, which also flow South- Westwards in courses generally parallel to the Sabarmati River, up to their confluence with the river (in ). And finally it empties in the Gulf of Cambay of Arabian Sea.

The Sabarmati River Basin is situated in the mid-Sothern part of Rajasthan, between latitudes 23025’ & 24055’ and longitudes 73000’ & 73048’. To its East lie the Banas and Mahi Basins, to its North the Luni Basin and to its West the West Banas Basin. Its Southern boundary is the border with Gujarat State. The total catchment area of the Basin is 4,164 km2 according to the 1:250,000 scale topographical maps published by the Survey of India. The Sabarmati River Basin extends over parts of Udaipur, Sirohi & Pali Orographically, the Western part of the Basin is marked by hilly terrain belonging to the Aravalli chain. East of the hills lies a narrow alluvial plain with a gentle Eastward slope. The National River Action Plan covers 34 rivers & 160 towns in 20 states. Rs. 2,340.80 crore of the estimated Rs 5,200 crore has been spent but the rivers are still far from clean. Despite making 85% of the expenditure on Sewage & Sewage Treatment Plants (STP), untreated Sewage flow is increasing in rivers due to rapid growth of the area in respect to urbanization & industrialization during past two decades. The inevitable consequence of which is a tremendous pollution of its water both by local people & microbiological characteristics of river water therefore, serve as important indicator in determining its suitability for any intended use.

Ahmedabad is located on the bank of the river Sabarmati in the Northern part of Gujarat & the Western part of India. It is located 23.030N 72.580E spanning an area of 310 km2. The average elevation is 53 m & is the centre of Industrial, Institutional & Political activities of the Gujarat state, India.The Sabarmati River is a backbone of city and is a major source of drinking water for the city.

Kharicut canal, which lies on the Eastern side of Ahmedabad city, an extension from the river khari, is 80 km long that begins from Raipur village & was constructed more than 100 years ago during the British period for providing irrigation facilities for villages like Nikol, , Vatva, Ramol etc. it also provides an artificial water recharge system for almost all the villages around it, but due to urban sprawl of the city, factories started lining up along the edge of the canal. After since, there have been allegations that these factories dump pollutants in the canal, which can be spotted clearly. Along with theindustries mainly engineering, electroplating, casting, steel furniture, chemicals, paints and dyes stuff fabricators that dump the waste into the canal there has been uncontrolled housing development, parallel to the factories, which also dump domestic waste into canal and few of them uses soak pits for drainage. The canal, which stretches along the city, is used for nothing more than a dumpsite.

Riverfront Development Project by Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation Ltd. (SRFDCL):

The Sabarmati riverfront project is an environmental improvement, social upliftment and urban rejuvenation project that will renew Ahmedabad. The project aims to reclaim the private river edge as a public asset and restore the city’s relationship with its river. The idea for developing the Sabarmati riverfront is an old one. However, only in 1997 the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) setup a wholly owned special purpose vehicle - the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation (SRFDCL) to explore the project. The Environmental Planning Collaborative (EPC) prepared a comprehensive feasibility study, and subsequently, SRFDCL appointed HCP design and project management ltd. to lead the architectural, structural and urban design aspects of the project.

The riverfront project presents a great opportunity to create a public edge to the river on the eastern and western sides of Ahmedabad. By channeling the river to a constant width of 275m, riverbed land has been reclaimed to create 11.25 kms of public riverfront on both the banks. The total land reclamation is 202.79 hectares. The located towards the north of the city channels water into the Sabarmati, which is retained in the river because of the existing Vasna barrage. Hence, the traditionally monsoon-fed Sabarmati is able to hold and replenish water year-round.

Objectives of the Riverfront project:

The project is undertaken with a prime objective of environmental improvement & provision of housing for the poor who living in life threatening conditions along river bed. The first objective of the project is to effectively manage the river as critical infrastructure. The riverfront development includes major interceptor sewer lines on both banks of the river, capturing more than 38 sewage discharge points and routing sewage to newly-commissioned treatment plants south of Vasna barrage. Both banks of the river have diaphragm walls built into the riverbed at a depth of more than 10m, and retaining walls which protect low-lying areas from periodic flooding. The Sabarmati has been channelized to a constant width without altering the flood carrying capacity of the river. Now the project can sustain flood levels of 4.75 lac cusecs without spillage into the city.

The Sabarmati riverfront project sets new standards for public projects. The project is designed to maximize the use of reclaimed land for public purposes. The riverfront will upgrade 18 precincts, revitalizing the heart of Ahmedabad and leading the city’s future growth. The riverfront project is completely self-financed through the sale of 14.50% of land for commercial and retail space, sufficient enough to generate resources to pay for developing the riverfront and managing it. Further, relocation of riverbank slum dwellers is monitored by the high court of Gujarat, and each claimant is provided permanent, titled housing in one of the many relocation sites interspersed within the city’s boundaries.

A key feature of this project is a two-level, continuous promenade on both sides of the river. The lower promenade has an average width of 10.30 meters. It is built just above the water level to serve only pedestrians and cyclists and to provide access to the water. The upper promenade is being built to host a variety of public features: cultural and educational institutions, leisure activities, large public parks and plazas and a few areas for commercial and retail development.

Riverfront Project details:

SRFDCL’s intention to cash in on the new perennial status of the Sabarmati by keeping water in the course throughout the year in the 10.5 km city stretch also caused apprehensions. The river used to be seasonal, retaining water for 2-3 months. According to the EIA, maintaining a water depth of 1 m at will require a continuous flow of 108-140 mld from October to June. As of now, surplus water in the Narmada main canal is being diverted to ensure this. But Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam, responsible for Narmada water allocation, has no agreement with SRFDCL; Sabarmati’s perennial status may be threatened unless AMC shells out.

The project has been planned as a self-financing project. The revenues would be generated from the sale of proclaimed land. Rs 1,200 crores (US$ 260.4 million) project includes Walkway development, Road development along the river, Promenades, Garden, Construction of 4000 houses under slum rehabilitation, Amusement park, Golf courses, Water sports park & construction of Kotapur weir.The Sabarmati riverfront development project in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is progressing at a fast pace.

Phase-I with cost of Rs.250 crore - Construction of a two ft thick and 40-55 ft deep 'diaphragm' to separate the 30-ft wide promenade or walkway extending from the railway bridge near to Vasna barrage and a 'retention' wall which is being built along the promenadeon both the banks of river along 10 km with expenditure of Rs.700 crore. River dredging, Constructing retaining walls, Providing storm water outfalls, and jetties, reclaiming 162 hectares, providing interceptor sewers, creating gardens, designing new streets / promenades with better street lighting, housing for economically weaker sections.

The Sabarmati riverfront is shaping Ahmedabad’s future as a city oriented towards residents’ needs and poised for responsible, inclusive growth. As a usable central artery, the River will likely revolutionize the development of Ahmedabad as an urban center and raise the threshold for city planning.

Table: 1.1 Drinking Water Standards as recommended by WHO and BIS.

Parameter WHO standards BIS standards

pH 6.5-9.2 6.5-8.5 DO - 3.0 TDS 500 500 CI 500 250

SO4 200 200

NO3 45 45 F 0.5 1.0

PO4 - - Ca 100 75 Mg 150 30 COD 10 -

STUDY AREA

STUDY AREA-1: Sabarmati River

Three sites have been selected for the present study in Sabarmati River viz. 1) Indira Bridge, (site 1)

2) Gandhi Bridge, (site 2)

3) Sardar Patel Bridge, (site 3)

STUDY AREA-2: Kharicut canal, Vatva.

It is an industrial area located in Ahmedabad. The Vatva industrial estate houses almost 2000 small and large scale industries of which most of falls into the polluting category.

1) Kharicut canal at Trikampura Chokdi, Vatva. (site 4)

2) Kharicut canal at Vatva GIDC phase IV (site 5)