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Gujarat’s Water Resources Department warns that limestone mining near Samadhiyala Bandhara reservoir in Bhavnagar could trigger seawater intrusion and degrade water quality.
Road construction in Budgam, Jammu & Kashmir has caused drainage blockage and severe waterlogging in an apple orchard, says the Pollution Control Committee.
The National Green Tribunal seeks a report from the Agriculture Ministry on strategies to curb nitrous oxide emissions from India’s rice paddy fields.
Limestone mining around the Samadhiyala Bandhara reservoir in Bhavnagar district could disrupt the natural limestone barrier, leading to seawater intrusion, contamination of runoff, and deterioration of water quality, according to the Narmada Water Resources, Water Supply and Kalpsar Department, Government of Gujarat.
In a reply filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on October 16, 2025, the department stated that these impacts could undermine the salinity control objectives of the Samadhiyala Bandhara Scheme. It recommended that the environmental clearance granted to Nirma Ltd by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) be “reconsidered and reviewed in the interest of justice to maintain the water quality” in the affected villages of Vangar, Madhiya, Padhiarka, Doliya, Gujarda, Dudheri and Dudhala in Mahuva taluka, Bhavnagar district.
Implemented under the Bhavnagar Irrigation Project Circle and managed by the Amreli Irrigation Division, the Samadhiyala Bandhara Scheme was designed to prevent salinity ingress from seawater and to preserve freshwater in the region. The reservoir lies just 2.3-4.3 km from the proposed limestone mining projects. The department warned that disrupting the limestone belt — which acts as a natural barrier against salinity — may lead to greater saline intrusion, undermining the reservoir’s effectiveness.
The bandhara supplies non-saline water for irrigation and groundwater recharge, helping maintain soil and water quality in surrounding areas. Mining activity, the department cautioned, could increase groundwater salinity, contaminate water sources with suspended particles and sediments, alter pH levels, and cause siltation — all of which would reduce water storage capacity and disrupt natural drainage, the department stated.
A government notification dated August 13, 2024, classified the Samadhiyala Bandhara as a reservoir for irrigation and drinking purposes. During the environmental clearance process, local residents had raised concerns about salinity intrusion, prompting the project proponent, Nirma Limited, to pledge mitigation measures. The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) also expressed concern about saltwater intrusion and the effectiveness of the salinity ingress control bund.
Nirma Ltd assured that the conceptual pit would remain above groundwater level, that piezometers would be installed for hydrogeological monitoring, and that garland drains would maintain a hydraulic gradient towards the Bandhara to create positive freshwater pressure. However, according to the department, the company has yet to provide evidence or data to demonstrate that any of these promised protective measures have been implemented.
Road construction for the semi-circular ring road at Batpora Wathoora in Budgam district, Jammu & Kashmir, has blocked drainage channels and caused persistent waterlogging in a local apple orchard, according to a report by the Jammu & Kashmir Pollution Control Committee.
The obstruction, caused by construction work on a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) project, disrupted the natural flow of irrigation water, damaging around 300 apple trees — roughly 30 per cent of the orchard. An additional 20-25 per cent of trees have suffered stunted growth due to water stagnation. The orchard, established in 2018 under the PMDP scheme, lies in a low-lying area where drainage channels had previously been developed to prevent waterlogging.
The findings, supported by reports from the Chief Horticulture Officer and the Regional Director of the Pollution Control Committee, were presented before the NGT on September 13, 2025, in compliance with the tribunal’s order dated May 8, 2025.
The NGT, on October 27, 2025, directed the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to file a report addressing six strategies proposed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to reduce nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from rice paddy fields.
The tribunal is examining nitrogen-use efficiency in Indian rice varieties, noting that nitrogen fertilisers are a major source of nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions, which contribute to air and water pollution, health risks, biodiversity loss, and climate change.