New Delhi: In a significant development underscoring growing concerns about urban ecological degradation, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Principal Bench, New Delhi, has taken suo-motu cognizance of a news report highlighting the disappearance of 37 out of 172 water bodies in Ahmedabad. The matter has now been transferred to the NGT’s Western Zonal Bench in Pune for further proceedings.
The original application was registered based on a June 9, 2025 report in media, which draws on findings from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), paints a concerning picture of unregulated urban development leading to the encroachment and eventual disappearance of key urban water bodies.
According to the civic body’s findings, many of the now-vanished lakes were not identified in the city’s statutory development plan — leaving them vulnerable to illegal construction and civic negligence. The report also highlights that the total area of water bodies near four major lakes Vastrapur, Memnagar, Thaltej, and Sola has shrunk by nearly 46% in the past two decades.
A comparative study using aerial imagery from 2000 to 2020 shows a drastic reduction in blue cover in the city, indicating widespread loss of water catchment zones. Alarmingly, the AMC’s own internal report cites instances where government infrastructure has been constructed atop former lake beds including a water distribution centre and a residential complex in Thaltej.
Noting that the matter involves critical issues under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the Tribunal has impleaded three key authorities as respondents:Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB),District Magistrate, Ahmedabad
The Tribunal cited the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment in Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha & Ors. (2021 SCC Online SC 897), affirming the NGT’s authority to initiate suo-motu proceedings in matters of environmental concern.
The respondents have been directed to file detailed affidavits before the Western Zonal Bench in Pune at least one week prior to the next hearing, scheduled for August 28, 2025. The Tribunal has also clarified that any response filed directly by a respondent must be accompanied by their virtual presence during the hearing.
The case is now poised to become a focal point in the debate over sustainable urban development in India, particularly in fast-growing metropolitan areas like Ahmedabad where ecological spaces are increasingly under pressure.
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