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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken suo motu cognisance based on a media report highlighting the disappearance of 37 out of 172 water bodies in Ahmedabad and initiated proceedings on the issue.
The report, drawing from data by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), cites unregulated urban expansion and inadequate recognition of these water bodies in formal planning documents as key reasons behind their vanishing. A bench led by Justice Prakash Shrivastava (Chairperson) and Expert Member Dr. A. Senthil Vel observed that the AMC's internal findings highlighted rampant encroachment and repurposing of lakes, enabled by their omission from statutory development plans. This oversight has facilitated unauthorised construction, severely impacting the city's natural water systems. Further, insights from a High-Level Committee (HLC) on urban development challenges in Gujarat revealed a 46 per cent decline in the area of water bodies surrounding prominent lakes, including Vastrapur, Memnagar, Thaltej, and Sola. The committee attributed this loss to unchecked growth and the neglect of ecological systems in city planning. Aerial imagery comparing the years 2000 and 2020, especially around Vastrapur Lake, revealed a significant decline in water coverage, referred to as "blue cover", attributed to aggressive development. One notable instance involves a lake in Thaltej that has been completely replaced by a residential project and an AMC-operated water distribution centre. The Tribunal raised serious concerns regarding violations of environmental laws such as the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Given the environmental gravity of the issue, the case has been transferred to the Western Zonal Bench in Pune. Notices have been issued to the Central Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, and the District Magistrate of Ahmedabad. Their responses are expected before the next hearing on August 28, 2025, the bench said. (ANI)
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