AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Tuesday issued notice to the authorities concerned on a PIL seeking action to clean the roads, remove garbage and waste and clean the river bed of the Saraswati in Siddhpur town.
A councillor from Siddhpur municipality, Vikas Patel, filed the PIL demanding action from the authorities including construction of an underground drainage system in the town and to close open drainage holes and lines. He has also asked for directions to repair the underbridge at the Siddhpur market yard and improve the construction quality.
Patel sought to restrain the authorities from dumping waste and garbage in an open area and in the Saraswati river. He has taken exception to the discharge of industrial waste and polluted water in the river, which result in environmental damage and adversely affect the public health.
The petitioner stated in his PIL that he has made various representations to several authorities and requested action by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) for prevention of dumping of waste and garbage in the Saraswati river. The petitioner also submitted that the garbage and waste water is released in a pond in the Pepalla area. Pollution has made the surrounding land infertile and borewells are also getting polluted and cannot be used for drinking and irrigation. It was contended that the state government is spending crores of rupees on cleaning the Saraswati, but the local authority is dumping waste in the river and even permits industrial waste to be dumped in the river bed.
