NMC accepts Neeri advice for better Godavari water

The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) and a committee headed by the divisional commissioner have agreed to some major recommendations given by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Neeri) for improving the water quality in the Godavari River and improving flood management.

The NMC & the committee, which also comprises the district collector, and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, agreed to the recommendations during a hearing held in the Bombay high court recently. The HC is hearing a public interest litigation filed by environmentalist Rajesh Pandit. Neeri had been directed to give its expert opinion by the HC.

Some of the drastic recommendations made by Neeri include: no construction along the Red Line level (which marks highest flood level once in 100 years). A no-construction zone is already accepted along Blue Line (which marks highest flood level once in 25 years).

Neeri said concrete flooring in the riverbeds, channelisation of the river and changing the course of the river, as observed in Ramkund and Panchavati areas, should be strictly prohibited. The stakeholders agreed that such things would not happen in future.

However, while Neeri recommended there should be no chambers (intercepting sewers) in the Red Line in future, the administration is against it. While the committee headed by the divisional commissioner says the matter is to be decided by the HC, Neeri is also against backfilling in Blue Line, even for jogging tracks or public toilets.

Readers may recall that on July 9 heavy flash floods in Godavari River breached the Blue Line. This flood was historic because it was not of water from the Gangapur reservoir but from the catchment areas. If the reservoir gates had been opened simultaneously, the floods could have breached the Red Line, environmentalist Mr Pandit said.

He also said that, in the light of these recommendations, he would consider filing a revised petition in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) over concretisation of the Godavari River in Trimbakeshwar.

The construction of concrete ghats in Nashik, have blocked the natural aquifers. These aquifers percolate the water and recharge the groundwater table. As these aquifers were blocked, the heavy water flow caused flash floods.

The NMC has also agreed that demarcation of flood lines, Red Lines and Blue Lines, was done in its area along the river Godavari, Nasardi and Waghadi in 2008, and stated that if fresh demarcation is necessary, Water Resource Department can finalise the revised flood lines as per the Irrigation Act.