State's environmental watchdog, on Saturday, said that local civic and urban development bodies are major contributors to polluting Sabarmati river. The issue came up during a coordination meeting of stake holders, held at the office of district collector. Naroda MLA, Balram Thavani raised the issue of rise in pollution in Sabarmati river. Officials of Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) blamed Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) for aggravating the level of pollution in the river. Thavani had raised the same issue in previous meeting as well, following which GPCB officers, last month, handed him a letter with findings of their study. On Saturday, the officials revealed that local sewage water is one of the key contributors to rising pollution level in the river. They also said that local stakeholders are responsible for aggravating pollution. Testing of samples collected from a drain line in an area in the vicinity to Airport Road revealed that sewage water is being released into the river. Some societies near Chiloda and Kotarpur, on the outskirts of the city, are also believed to be releasing domestic sewage water in the river, which is illegal. Quoting a report letter by the GPCB, Thavani said, "Samples taken after Ganesh Visarjan from few locations have found that domestic sewage is being drained into the water. Also, GPCB has cited that the civic body is responsible to maintain the river. GPCB has mentioned that, on a number of occassions, it has served notices to AMC for discharging untreated water in the river." Environmentalists have also raised their concern regarding pollution level in the river. According to the environmentalist Mahesh Pandya, "Mere issuing notices will not help in reducing pollution. It is necessary that GPCB takes some concrete actions. All the stakeholders should ensure that all regulations related to environment are strictly adhered to," said Pandya. He said that its GPCB's mandate to control pollution. It is then that local civic bodies come into picture. However, municipal commissioner Vijay Nehra said that Thavani had actually blamed industries for releasing affluents in the river and thereby polluting it. "AMC has ensured that sewage water must be treated before releasing it into the river. During the meeting it was clarified that industrial effluent has been found from the river." Nehra said. Commissioner further said that they have asked to GPCB to take action against industrial units causing pollution in the river. GPCB can even give closure notices to such industrial units. ON A MISSION

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