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Indian Express
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Overall area of water bodies along four key lakes in Ahmedabad has reduced by 46%, says report, points out ‘lack of water sensitivity in statutory plans'
While there has been much talk over the status of redevelopment in their surrounding areas, the overall area of water bodies along four prominent lakes in Ahmedabad — Vastrapur, Memnagar, Thaltej and Sola — has reduced by almost 46%, according to a report by the Keshav Varma-led High-Level Committee (HLC) on Urban Planning under Urban Development and Urban Housing Department, government of Gujarat, released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. Analysing the changes in lake land cover following the Lake Redevelopment and Interlinking of Lakes (LRIL) project, the report reveals that the redevelopment, in most cases, has happened by reclamation of lake land, effectively reducing the overall water spread of the lake. 'Lakes like Thaltej and Sola are still under threat due to encroachment because of lack of interventions,' the report added. Pointing out that often, lake redevelopment projects proposed with the goal of conserving them 'resulted in dried-up lakes', the report stressed that this was largely because of the vision of redeveloping the waterbody (mostly for placemaking) while ignoring its catchment, i.e., the streams that carry water to the lake and other green and grey infrastructure around the lakes. The section on water-sensitive urban planning by Professor Mona Iyer, CEPT University, with inputs from Prakash Datta, officer on special duty (OSD), Urban Development and Urban Housing Department; D P Desai, Chief Executive Authority of Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA); and Harpal Dave, Convenor, HLC Gujarat, highlighted, '47 per cent of new development in Ahmedabad is sited on high and very high recharge potential zone' as 'built up area in Ahmedabad increased by 46 per cent in the 0-50 km region between 2000 and 2015'. Urban natural water systems—such as rivers, wetlands, ponds, and groundwater—offer a range of essential ecosystem services that contribute to the health and well-being of urban environments. '83 per cent of urban water bodies in Gujarat are being used for groundwater recharge (NIUA, 2023). In the census of water bodies, 54,069 water bodies have been enumerated, out of which 98.3% (53,156) are in rural areas and the remaining 1.7% (913) are in urban areas. Out of these urban water bodies, 800 are natural and 113 are human-made. (MoJS, 2023),' states the first-of-its-kind exercise of census of water bodies, conducted in 2018-19 and published in 2023. Highlighting the role of and challenges faced by urban water systems and their planning, the report has listed the case study of Vastrapur lake and smaller lakes around it. A comparative analysis of aerial imagery from 2000, the proposed Town planning scheme (TPS) Bodakdev 1B, and aerial imagery from 2020 of Vastrapur lake reveals a declining trend in blue cover, highlighting the rapid loss of water bodies due to unregulated urban development. 'In the 2000 aerial image, the lake is prominently visible. However, in TPS Bodakdev 1B, the lake was appropriated, its land use reclassified, and a proposal for Socially and Economically Weaker Sections (SEWS) housing was introduced. Further analysis of the 2020 aerial imagery shows that a haat (marketplace) had been constructed on the site, completely replacing the lake,' the report stated. 'This case clearly demonstrates how statutory plans often lack water sensitivity, facilitating the conversion of water bodies into developable land and ultimately leading to their disappearance. The water bodies vanished as they were not recognised in the statutory plan. Champal talavadi labelled as a water body in the TP scheme. Dhoyu Talaavdi labelled as a neighbourhood centre. Both the erstwhile water bodies are now filled and developed as a land parcel,' it added. Terming the LRIL, which started in 2003, as a 'good initiative with mixed impacts', the report pointed out that it was a result of four triggers — climate extremes, groundwater depletion, lake encroachment, and civic activism and judicial intervention. Mapping of lakes is among the foremost steps towards their conservation; it is a quintessential element of their identification, the report stated. Several lakes have been lost due to oversight in notifying them, the report has pointed out. What should be taken care of during redevelopment, according to the report: -Mapping of the streams should be an integral part of the plan-making process. -Conservation of streams will help ensure water in the lakes and prevent urban flooding. -Statutory plans should recognise the streams that need to be conserved and make relevant proposals. -The extent of conservation measures should be determined by the stream order. -Authorities and developers should ensure that the flow of the streams is not restricted by development. Any linear, public infrastructure cutting across water channels should be retrofitted to allow unhindered passage of water. For example, stretches of roads cutting across the streams should be provided with culverts to allow unhindered flow of water. – (Appointment of) An officer in charge (catchment management authority/officer) or creation of task force/ water management services department, directly reporting to the Municipal Commissioner and District Collector. Or, specially created water systems cells for their respective administrative jurisdiction that would be responsible for periodic survey and record verification of demarcated water bodies. -Any re-engineering of the demarcated streams or lakes should be done with the permission of the officer-in-charge. -All water bodies to be given high priority and attention. A state-level empowered committee chaired by the Principal Secretary (Urban Development) should take decisions in case of any disputes in the demarcated water bodies. The committee should include urban planners, environment engineers, hydrologists, geologists, and other invited subject experts as per context-specific requirements.
United News of India
08-06-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Cong dismantled simultaneous polls to retain power: Anil Antony
Bengaluru, June 8 (UNI) BJP leader Anil K Antony on Sunday launched a pointed attack on the Congress party, accusing it of derailing India's once-successful system of simultaneous elections for political gain. Supporting the Centre's push for the 'One Nation, One Election' initiative, he said the practice functioned smoothly until it was disrupted by the Congress government under Indira Gandhi after 1967. 'From 1951 to 1967, India conducted Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections together, ensuring stability and good governance,' Antony said at a policy forum here. 'But this changed when Mrs Indira Gandhi came to power. In the following three years, several non-Congress governments were dismissed, and political manipulation led to the collapse of the synchronised election cycle. By the late 1970s, the system had been completely derailed.' Calling this disruption a "self-serving move" by the Congress to retain power, Antony argued that decades of disjointed elections have since burdened the country with administrative delays, fiscal strain, and reduced governance efficiency. He cited the 2023 report of the High-Level Committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, which strongly recommended synchronised elections. 'According to the report, implementing 'One Nation, One Election' can boost India's GDP by 1.5% annually — equivalent to ₹4–7 lakh crore — which is nearly 50% of our healthcare budget and one-third of our education budget,' he said. Antony highlighted the heavy toll of India's year-round election cycle. 'In the last 30 years, there hasn't been a single year without elections. Due to the frequent enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, governance comes to a halt for almost five months every year. State and national leaders are in permanent campaign mode instead of focusing on development.' He said that restoring the synchronised election system is not a political move but a nation-first reform aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of making India a developed nation by 2047. 'This isn't about BJP. Even in 1983, the Election Commission — under a Congress-led government — said India should return to joint elections. Our founding leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani supported this idea in the 1980s. It's about bringing back stability,' Antony said. Citing India's rapid rise from a $2 trillion economy in 2014 to the verge of becoming a $5 trillion economy, Antony argued that electoral reforms are essential to sustain and accelerate this growth. 'We are now the fastest-growing digital economy. The startup boom in cities like Bengaluru — from just 500 startups in 2014 to over 1.25 lakh today — shows the kind of momentum we've built. Reforms like One Nation, One Election will ensure that governance keeps pace.' The High-Level Committee's consultations with lakhs of citizens and experts led to an 800-page report submitted to the President of India, affirming the economic, administrative, and democratic benefits of the reform. Among the members were Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former J\\\\\\\\&K CM Ghulam Nabi Azad, and legal luminary Harish Salve. Asserting that the initiative will 'increase democratic participation, improve administrative efficiency, and reduce unnecessary public expenditure,' Antony urged all stakeholders to support the move. 'Synchronised elections will free the government from continuous electoral distraction and unleash the full potential of governance. It's time to correct the mistake Congress made decades ago and put the nation back on a stable, growth-focused track,' he said. UNI BDN SSP
