Ahmedabad’s ₹14,763 Crore Unspent Budget Shock: Why Water, Roads, and Drainage Infrastructure Remain Broken

Ahmedabad: Despite allocating over ₹70,000 crore across ten years, the BJP-led Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) left a staggering ₹14,763 crore unspent between 2013-14 and 2022-23. The startling disclosure, brought to light during civic budget discussions by former Leader of Opposition Shehzad Khan Pathan, highlights a systemic failure to convert massive paper budgets into ground-level urban infrastructure for Gujarat’s commercial capital.

According to official figures presented in the house, the AMC sanctioned a cumulative budget of ₹70,132 crore over the ten-year period. However, civic authorities managed to utilise only ₹55,369 crore, leaving over 20 per cent of allocated funds completely untouched. Opposition leaders argue that this chronic under-spending directly explains why civic collapse remains an annual affair across eastern and western belts of the city.

Waterlogging and Missing Stormwater Networks Plague Citizens

The sharpest critique targets the municipal body's failure to construct a comprehensive stormwater drainage network. Despite repeated budgetary promises, large swathes of Ahmedabad lack dedicated rainwater run-off channels.

Consequently, every monsoon converts arterial routes and residential pockets into waterlogged zones, stranding commuters and disrupting economic activity. Opposition members highlighted that if the unspent ₹14,763 crore had been deployed on time, the city’s drainage capacity would have easily managed peak monsoon downpours.

Potholes, Pollution, and Piranha: Essential Civic Services Stalled

The fallout of unused development funds spans well beyond seasonal flooding. Key public works projects continue to face severe delays or poor execution:

• Road Infrastructure: Battered surfaces, chronic pothole outbreaks, and unmanaged traffic bottlenecks persist across key corridors.
• Environmental Health: Waste processing targets at the notorious Pirana dumping site remain severely delayed, alongside rising air pollution levels.
• Sabarmati Cleanup: Industrial and domestic sewage discharges continue to pollute the Sabarmati River, despite multi-crore restoration allocations.
• Solid Waste & Health: Garbage collection gaps and seasonal disease outbreaks continue to strain public healthcare services.

While the ruling BJP administration frequently highlights multi-crore flagship projects and smart-city transformations, opposition figures demand answers on why foundational municipal services—clean drinking water, functional sewers, and durable roads—remain systematically underfunded in execution.