Window Seat | Mrinal
Chatterjee | 15.3.20
Ahmedabad and Sabarmati River
I
had recently been to Ahmedabad. Thanks to US President Donald Trump’s much
publicized visit to the city, everybody now knows that it is the commercial
capital of Gujarat (though diamond and cloth merchants of Surat would beg to
differ) with the largest Cricket stadium of the world. Ahmedabad is the seventh
largest city in the country with a population of about 6 million people and
growing at a breakneck speed. The city has expanded from an area of 90 sq km in
1971 to 464.16 sq km in 2009.
Sabarmati
river, on the bank of which Gandhi had his ashram shifted in 1917, near which
100 years later Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew in a sea plane - flows right
in the middle of the city. In fact it divides the city into eastern and western
parts. Most of the industries are located in the eastern part of the city,
whereas the western part is predominantly a residential and commercial area.
The
city falls in a dry and arid climatic zone. It receives an average rainfall on
782 mm, mostly in the monsoon months.
The
Sabarmati river, originating in the
Aravalli hills in Rajasthan, flows for a
length of 371 km in the southwest direction, then joins the Gulf of
Khambat and finally meets the Arabian Sea. It is not a perennial river.
Presently, the river stretch in Ahmedabad is being fed from the Narmada river
water at Chiloda, due to the development of the riverfront. As the river flows
through the city, there are a few storm water inlets, which open up into the
river. Downstream of the city, treated sewage and industrial effluents are
discharged into the river from seven sewage treatment plants (STPs) and two
pipelines carrying treated industrial effluents.
A
recent study (published in EPW) has analysed the impacts of Ahmedabad on the
Sabarmati river water quality. The analysis of the water quality highlights
that the river undergoes complete degradation when it leaves the city, although
the water quality meets the norms when the river enters the city Downstream at
Miroli, after the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents, the river water
quality degrades completely. The river becomes “dead,” that is, the dissolved
oxygen in water becomes zero when it
leaves the city, after receiving the sewage discharge from the STPs and the industrial
effluents. The impact of seasonal variations on the river quality is not
significant. The river also exhibits the presence of heavy metals in
concentrations more than the desired levels.
Sabarmati
is dying. Instead of spending crores on doing a ‘Namaste Trump’ like mega
event, the government should look after the river which has sustained the city
for centuries.
Ahmedabad
The history of the city of Ahmedabad is
marked by a number of high points followed by declines. The earliest history
has it that King Karandev I - the Solanki ruler, once fought a war against the
Bhil King Ashapall or Ashaval. After his victory, Karandev established the city
of 'Karnavati'. The Hindu kingdom of Karnavati remained an important kingdom
till the early 15th century when Gujarat fell under the Muslim Sultanate.
Sultan Ahmed Shah founded Ahmedabad in 1411 A.D. He and subsequent rulers built
the city.
 |
| Teen Darwaja. Old Ahmedabad. |
In 1753, the combined forces of
Raghunath Rao and Damaji Gaekwad attacked the city and captured it, resulting
in the end of Mughal rule in Ahmedabad. Many historians opine that the city saw
its worst phase in the 64 years during the rule of Gaekwads and Peshwas. It was
later in 1818 that the British took over the administration of Ahmedabad.
In 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned from
South Africa and established an ashram
at Kochrab area of Ahmedabad. Two
years later the ashram was shifted to a piece of open land on the banks of the
river Sabarmati. Reasons for this shift included: Gandhi wanted to do some
experiments in community living. He wanted to do farming, animal husbandry,
Khadi and related constructive activities, for which he was in search of this
kind of barren land. This area also had a mythological connect. It was believed
to be the ashram site of Rishi Dadhichi who had donated his bones for a
righteous war. It was in sync with his objective of sacrifice. The land was
situated between a jail and a crematorium. That also suited him as he believed
that a satyagrahi had to invariably go to either of the places.
 |
| Sabarmati Ashram |
The Sabarmati
Ashram (also known as Harijan Ashram) was home to Gandhi from 1917 until 1930
and served as one of the main centres of India’s freedom struggle. On 12 March 1930 he
vowed that he would not return to the Ashram until India won independence.
Although India won her independence on 15 August 1947, Gandhi could never
return to the ashram. He was assassinated in January 1948.
Tailpiece: Bank
If financial crisis
continues like this and banks continue to close, only three banks will survive
by next year: 1. Blood Bank 2. Eye
Bank 3. Sperm Bank.
Tailpiece: A shayari on Corona
Badi tanha si beparvah gujar rahi thi
jindagi, Ghalib
Ab e alam hai ki ek chink vi aa jai to
dunia gour se dekhti hai
I was living without any
care, unnoticed O Ghalib
The situation has so
changed that if I just sneeze,
the entire world stares at
me.
***
Journalist turned media academician Mrinal Chatterjee lives in
Dhenkanal. He writes fiction. Hindi translation of his novel Shakti, originally
written in Odia has recently been published.
He can be contacted at mrinalchatterjee@ymail.com
