₹81.40-Crore Eastern Trunk Line Fails To Prevent Waterlogging In East Ahmedabad
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A year after the Eastern Trunk Line was inaugurated with the promise of providing relief from waterlogging and sewage backflow in eastern Ahmedabad, several areas including Madhumalati Awas, Odhav and Vastral have once again been left inundated following rainfall, raising questions over the project’s effectiveness.
The drainage project, built at an estimated cost of ₹81.40 crore, was inaugurated in July last year by then Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel and Jagdish Panchal. At the time, civic authorities had claimed that the project would provide relief to nearly five lakh residents across several eastern parts of the city.
Waterlogging Raises Questions Over Project
At the time of the inauguration, then Ahmedabad mayor Pratibha Jain had said residents of Madhumalati Awas, Gopal Chowk, Odhav and Vastral would benefit from the project and get relief from recurring waterlogging and sewage backflow.
However, the latest spell of rain has once again left roads submerged in several parts of eastern Ahmedabad, including the areas cited during the project’s launch.
The situation has raised questions over whether the ₹81.40-crore infrastructure has delivered the expected benefits barely a year after its inauguration.
Crores Spent On Drainage Every Year
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation spends crores of rupees every year on laying new drainage lines, rehabilitating existing networks and carrying out desilting work.
Despite the expenditure, waterlogging continues to affect several areas of eastern Ahmedabad during rainfall. The recurring problem has prompted questions over the planning and implementation of drainage infrastructure, particularly when major projects have already been completed in the affected areas.
12.08-Km Drainage Line From Kathwada To Vinzol
The Eastern Trunk Line project includes a 12.08-km-long drainage network running from Kathwada in Nikol to the Vinzol sewage treatment plant (STP).
The network comprises drainage lines of 1,200 mm, 1,600 mm, 1,800 mm and 2,000 mm diameters.
Despite the scale of the network and the ₹81.40-crore expenditure, waterlogging in Madhumalati Awas, Odhav, Vastral and other parts of eastern Ahmedabad has continued during rainfall.
The situation has now sparked debate over the extent to which the trunk line has addressed the problem it was designed to tackle and where gaps in the drainage system may remain.
