Sabarmati River Deep-Cleaning Begins in Ahmedabad

A large-scale cleaning operation of the Sabarmati River has begun in Ahmedabad following a six-year hiatus, after the river was temporarily drained to allow for maintenance work at the Vasna Barrage. This extensive drive is being undertaken by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) in collaboration with the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL) and the State Irrigation Department.

The campaign was formally launched on Thursday morning from Gandhi Ashram by Ahmedabad Mayor Pratibha Jain and Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani, in the presence of several AMC officials and ruling party MLAs from Ahmedabad, including Amit Shah and Amit Thaker. 

The initiative has seen the involvement of more than 80 local NGOs, social organisations, and AMC staff.

Mayor Jain remarked, “This is an auspicious opportunity to follow in Mahatma Gandhi’s footsteps of cleanliness, right beside the very Ashram where he preached this notion.” 

She emphasised the importance of restoring the Sabarmati from its depth and highlighted its significance as a major tourist attraction. “I urge citizens to maintain its cleanliness,” she added.

Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani stated, “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.” 

He further explained that the operation would proceed in five separate phases along the river’s entire stretch. “Over 71 NGOs and many volunteers are involved in the drive across various areas. The collected waste will be sorted and analysed 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,” he said.

Although the AMC had initially announced that the clean-up would begin on Wednesday, it failed to start on the scheduled day. No machinery was deployed, and only a few workers were seen sporadically removing waste. 

A clear lack of coordination was observed between the SRFDCL and the AMC’s Solid Waste Department. With sewage still flowing into the river, officials deemed the clean-up unfeasible on the first day and postponed the operation to Thursday morning.

According to Deepak Patel, General Manager of SRFDCL, “The river was last deep-cleaned in 2019. Back then, we saw considerable public participation, and we aim to involve NGOs and social workers again to replicate that success.” 

The SRFDCL is overseeing coordination for the current campaign and has appealed for voluntary public involvement.

The drying of the river, caused by ongoing maintenance at the Vasna Barrage, provided an ideal opportunity for thorough de-silting and sludge removal. Presently, the stretch between Subhash Bridge and the Vasna Barrage is fully dried out, revealing sludge and debris accumulated over several years. The operation aims to remove deep-seated pollutants that are not addressed by routine surface-level cleaning.

The barrage repair work, including the construction of a temporary soil ramp upstream, is expected to conclude by June 5. This timeline coincides with World Environment Day, which also marks the targeted completion date of the clean-up initiative.

The Sabarmati River was previously drained and cleaned nearly two decades ago, prior to the initiation of Phase 1 of the Sabarmati Riverfront project in 2003–04. The current campaign, launched under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Swachh Bharat Mission, aims to encourage civic responsibility and reinforce public commitment to environmental cleanliness.