ABSTRACT
Surat is a coastal area and is geographically very different from Ahmedabad. It is located on the banks of the river Tapi and extends up to the Arabian Sea. The average elevation of Surat is 13 meters and it is characterised by the presence of a number of creeks (known as ‘khadis’ in the local language). Surat is a major industrial hub for textile industries in Western India and has the highest share of MSMEs as well as large-scale industries in Gujarat. This chapter analyses the environmental quality of the Tapi and the creeks receiving industrial discharges and the sewage. The data analysed has been acquired from the GPCB and is unpublished data. A constant deterioration in the quality of surface water resources has been observed due to the discharge of treated or partially treated effluents from the industries. The irony of the situation is that the creeks which receive industrial effluents are not regularly monitored but the Tapi river, which does not receive industrial discharges, gets regularly monitored. The problem of water pollution in Surat becomes critical due to an increase in the frequency of flooding, risks faced by the city due to climate change and ineffective environmental governance.
