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Citizen intercession towards safeguarding the Vishwamitri River, India

Neha Sarwate
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, India; neha.v.sarwate@gmail.com

Shishir R. Raval
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, India; inmsuarchsrr@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: As rivers in the urban areas of developing economies are subjected to various policies that result in environmental pressures, it is prudent to examine the administrative attitudes and decision-making processes to learn how concerned community members and experts can shape and guide such policies and plans. This paper provides a description and summative evaluation of the intercession process by the Concerned Citizens of Vadodara (CCV) in the case of the Vishwamitri Riverfront Development Project (VRDP) and post-VRDP phase. This inductive approach records the entire interplay of stakeholders’ decisions and actions through interviews with key decision-makers and analysis of events and communications amongst the stakeholders. Emerging patterns are correlated through content and frequency analyses and are discussed in terms of values, structure, and processes. The case of the VRDP is significant, as the multipronged, persistent intercession by the CCV not only resulted in the withdrawal of the project but set a precedent in the judicial realm towards the scientific understanding of rivers in India. It provides lessons for making course corrections in similar cases and demonstrates that diligent involvement of local citizens and experts along with application of legal tools is crucial for shaping socio-ecological interventions concerning rivers in urban areas.

KEYWORDS: Citizen Action, Riverfront Development, Urban Governance, Socio-ecological Interventions, Environmental Litigation, India