Ahmedabad Heritage Route Hygiene Failure: AMC Deploys Safeguard Marshals As Multi-Crore CCTV Project Crumbles

In a bid to restore basic sanitation across India's first UNESCO World Heritage City, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has launched a dedicated "Sanitation Marshal" patrol across historic inner-city lanes and the bustling Manek Chowk night market. The move comes as previous high-cost initiatives—ranging from multi-crore CCTV surveillance installations to expensive non-governmental awareness campaigns—have fallen flat due to poor maintenance and weak enforcement.

Deployed by the Central Zone Solid Waste Management Department, the newly appointed sanitation marshals have been tasked with patrolling high-density tourist corridors, cracking down on public littering, and issuing spot fines to violators. However, the decision has drawn sharp criticism from urban watchpoints, who view the measure as yet another short-sighted drain on civic funds after past monitoring systems were allowed to rot.

Multi-Crore Security Cameras In Disrepair

To curb chronic public littering, the AMC had previously outfitted dozens of designated "nuisance points" across the Walled City with high-definition CCTV cameras. The system was designed to capture offenders in real time, enabling civic officers to issue fines directly to property owners and shopkeepers.

Instead, a chronic lack of operational upkeep has left many of these surveillance units broken, covered in grime, or completely offline. Simultaneously, the civic body spent lakhs of public money on Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) drives through contracted NGOs. Intended to eliminate single-use plastics and encourage waste segregation at source, these awareness programmes have yielded few tangible results, forcing officials to rely once again on physical enforcement on the ground.

High-Risk Heritage Corridors Put Under Strict Watch

The new enforcement plan zeroes in on key cultural arteries that draw thousands of domestic and foreign tourists daily. Marshals will maintain round-the-clock foot patrols across several key stretches:

• The Core Heritage Walk Route: Spanning Kalupur Swaminarayan Temple to Lambeshwar ni Pol, Haja Patel ni Pol, Shantinath Derasar, Indrakot, Popat Gokh, Doshiwada ni Pol, and Chaalla Ol leading to Jama Masjid, Manek Chowk, and the Old Stock Exchange upto Lakha Patel ni Pol.
• Manek Chowk Commercial Hub: Covering Teen Darwaza Road, Pankore Naka to Chandra Vilas Hotel, Fuwara to Chaalla Ol, Old Stock Exchange Road, and Masala Bazar extending to Pankore Naka crossroads.

Special Night Shifts And Door-To-Door Services

Given Manek Chowk's transformation into a crowded street food market every evening, the AMC has instituted specialized night shifts. Sanitation crews will remain stationed at the market from opening to closure, supported by dedicated waste collection vehicles to ensure continuous clearing of food debris.

To prevent domestic waste dumping into historic narrow lanes (pols), the municipal corporation has also deployed additional e-rickshaws and Door-to-Door (D2D) garbage collection vehicles for both residential quarters and commercial establishments. Whether these boots on the ground can finally break the cycle of civic neglect remains to be seen.