Day one of Sabarmati clean-up yields no visible result

The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) announced a clean-up of the Sabarmati River from Wednesday as the river was drained for barrage maintenance work near Vasna. However, the clean-up couldn't take off on day one, with focus now shifted to day two by the authorities. 

No machinery was deployed for the operation, and few workers trying to clear the garbage were spotted here and there. A lack of coordination was evident between Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd and Solid Waste department.

With sewage water still flowing into the river, officials appeared to believe that cleanup was not feasible and thus remained silent. It was stated that the cleanup work would now begin from Thursday morning.

The Sabarmati river was emptied and cleaned two decades ago, prior to the launch of Phase 1 of the Sabarmati Riverfront project in 2003-04. 

Before this year's monsoon, repair work has begun on the gates of the Vasna Barrage. This work is scheduled to be completed by June 5. Additionally, a temporary soil ramp is being constructed upstream of the barrage, and so it was decided to empty the river. 

Despite announcing that cleanup work would begin from Wednesday, the municipal authorities have reportedly declared that on the morning of May 15, the mayor and other AMC officials will launch the operation near Gandhi Ashram.

Cleanliness drive along Sabarmati 

A cleanliness drive along the Sabarmati River has been launched in Ahmedabad, with participation from over 80 NGOs and AMC staff on Thursday. Mayor Pratibhaben Jain and AMC Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani were also present.

Mayor Pratibhaben Jain said, "Under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Sabarmati Cleanliness Drive has been launched by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Sabarmati Development Corporation. Many social organisations and citizens have joined the initiative in large numbers. The campaign was symbolically launched from Gandhi Ashram, the workplace of Mahatma Gandhi, to spread the message of cleanliness. The Mayor appealed to all residents to take social responsibility and maintain cleanliness in their surroundings..."

AMC Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani said, "A mega cleanliness drive has been launched across all banks of the Sabarmati River. The river was drained as part of dam gate repair work, which presented an opportunity to initiate this campaign with public participation. Over 71 NGOs and many volunteers are involved in the drive across various areas. The collected waste will be sorted and analyzed to understand its types, with the goal of educating future generations on keeping rivers and cities clean. The campaign aims to promote long-term environmental awareness and sustainability"

(With inputs from syndicated feed)