The Autonomous Authority Will Regulate All Activities Affecting Vital Water Bodies

Gandhinagar: Waking up to the need for conserving the state’s wetlands and lakes, the Gujarat government has decided to constitute a first-of-its-kind Wetlands and Lakes Regulatory and Development Authority. An official associated with the formation of the new authority said, “Wetlands and lakes, both have great ecological and socio-economic importance but as of now they are encroached, damaged or heavily polluted. Hence there is a great need to protect these crucial water bodies.”

Devla village (Rajkot): Thousands of people from 4,800 villages across the water-starved Saurashtra took pledge at a ‘mahayagna’, organized by Saurashtra Jaldhara Trust, near Bhadar Dam at Devla village in Gondal taluka of Rajkot district on Sunday to work for water conservation.

“The Saurashtra Narmada Jal Avataran Jan Jagruti Mahayagna will help create awareness about water conservation, drip irrigation and unused borewells and also pressurize the state government to bring Narmada water to Saurashtra,” said Saurashtra Jaldhara Trust president Mathur Savani.

It could not have been more poignant than this when a sea of humanity in the heart of the rain-starved Saurashtra region in Gujarat took a pledge here on Sunday to conserve water by adopting drip irrigation on a massive scale and check the mining of groundwater.

A staggering 1.25 lakh people from across 4,800 villages of the State’s largest region that often falls prey to drought-like situations gathered on the bone-dry catchment of the Bhadar dam to decide to conserve water and appeal to the State and Central governments to speed up solutions to their water woes.

River Tapi stinks because of release of untreated sewage water into it by many government and other offices.

A confidential report by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) expressed concerns about possible calamities due to the proximity of the proposed Kalpsar dam and the Mithivirdi Nuclear Power Project

Gujarat tops the list of being the most polluted state in India, accounting for 29 per cent of the nation’s hazardous waste.

Gujarat High Court on Friday directed the Central Government to decide within four weeks the issue of granting approval to the allocation of forest land to Essar Steel Ltd (ESL) near Hazira in Surat district.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala, while disposing of a PIL challenging the allocation of forest land measuring 2.07 lakh sq meters, also asked the Gujarat Government to demolish the constructions made by the company at the site if the Centre decides not to grant approval.

190 Govt Offices With Illegal Sewage Connections Release Waste Into The River

Surat: River Tapi stinks because of release of untreated sewage water into it by many government and other offices. Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had found Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), income tax department, government circuit house and police among those responsible for releasing sewage waters directly into Tapi.

Rajkot: The people’s movement to express resentment against the Supreme Court verdict on transfer of Gir’s lions to Madhya Pradesh (MP) continues to gather steam.

A postcard campaign against the move has been launched in Amreli by members of Gir Nature Youth Club that was founded by slain RTI activist Amit Jethva. “We have launched the campaign to voice our anger against the court’s decision. We are receiving a good response from the people who are joining the campaign in large numbers.

Gujarat high court has issued a stern warning to authorities that officials would be personally held liable if unhygienic conditions at the Civil Hospital and across the city resulted in spread of malaria, dengue and falciparum next monsoon.

The court has said that all officials concerned would be held guilty of contempt of court if they are found not performing their duties and has warned that no excuse such as staff shortage or financial crunch will be considered.