New Delhi, March 5 -- A group of citizens and environmentalists have panned measures to desilt and resection the Vishwamitri river in Gujarat's third-largest city of Vadodara, terming it a 'serious deviation' from the mandate of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

In a letter to the mayor, the municipal commissioner, and other officials from Vadodara and Gujarat, the group wrote that the integrity of the riverine ecosystem should not be compromised in any way while carrying out these activities.

The city's municipal authorities want to dredge the river to prevent floods. Vadodara was hit by severe floods on August 26 last year. The Vishwamitri burst its banks and many areas were waterlogged till the water began to recede around August 29...