Vadodara: Chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday gave an in-principle approval for the Vishwamitri Revival and Redevelopment Project . The project has been discussed since 2008, but no concrete development has taken place so far. Patel held meetings with the top brass of the district administration as well as the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) at the district collectorate.
Junior home minister Harsh Sanghavi, who is also the in-charge minister for Vadodara, shared details of the project with the media. Sanghavi said that an in-principle nod had also been given for funding of Rs 1,200 crore for the project which will include studying the carrying capacity of the river and other aspects. Sanghavi said the administration had been asked to prepare a plan and put it up at the earliest.
The project was first discussed by the VMC in 2008 and was inspired by the Sabarmati Riverfront project. The state govt too assured help to VMC and it was included in its budgets, but work did not start. Widening and deepening of the river to increase its capacity is also a part of the project.
Environmentalists raised red flags regarding the concretization of the banks of the river and other aspects. In 2016, the project was challenged in the National Green Tribunal (NGT), forcing VMC to withdraw the application seeking environmental clearance. Later, it was one of the projects that was included in the Smart City initiative.
Later, it was decided to propose the project under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP). In 2018, VMC gave an undertaking to the state govt that if the project was taken up under NRCP, VMC would pay its contribution. In NRCP, 60% of the project cost is provided by the centre, 10% by the state govt, while the remaining 30% has to be borne by the local body.
Former CM Vijay Rupani held a meeting with VMC officials as well as departments of Kalpsar and irrigation in the presence of Central Design Organisation experts and representatives of the NGO Vaho Vishwamitri Abhiyan. Tenders for preparing a DPR were brought out in March 2020 and the tendering process was completed in April 2021. The VMC has also shared the DPR prepared by the agency given the work with the NGT that allowed VMC to begin work.
In Dec 2021, VMC was asked to propose the Vishwamitri project under NRCP. After this, there have been no developments on the project..
