₹9.92 Crore For 30 Tankers: AMC’s Garden Department Faces Questions Over Spending

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's (AMC) Garden Department has purchased 30 water tankers costing nearly ₹9.78 crore for watering plants across the city, raising questions over the civic body's expenditure on maintaining Ahmedabad's greenery.

The tankers, each with a capacity of around 8,000 litres, were reportedly purchased at a cost of ₹32.41 lakh each. The vehicles were formally flagged off by civic office-bearers.

₹2.98 Crore Additional Annual Maintenance Cost

The expenditure does not end with the purchase of the tankers. According to the details, the AMC will spend an additional ₹2.98 crore annually on their maintenance.

The large expenditure has raised questions over the need to purchase 30 new tankers when the municipal corporation already has a substantial fleet of machinery and vehicles.

Questions have also been raised over how such a significant annual maintenance amount will be utilised.

1.50 Crore Saplings Planted In Five Years

The Garden Department has spent crores of rupees on plantation-related activities over the years, including the purchase of saplings, soil, labour, watering and maintenance.

According to the information, more than 1.50 crore saplings have been planted in Ahmedabad over the past five years.

The civic body has also claimed that more than 44 lakh saplings were planted in just 70 days this year, which works out to an average of around 62,000 saplings a day.

Officials Admit Around 60% Saplings Die

Despite the large-scale plantation drive and expenditure, the report points to concerns over the survival rate of the saplings.

Officials themselves have reportedly acknowledged that around 60% of the saplings planted eventually dry up or die.

This has raised questions over whether greater emphasis should be placed on maintaining existing plantations and ensuring the survival of saplings rather than repeatedly spending on new plantation and related infrastructure.

Questions Over Civic Spending

The purchase of 30 tankers and the recurring maintenance expenditure have also raised questions about oversight of the Garden Department's spending.

The report alleges that civic office-bearers, including the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Standing Committee chairman, have not previously raised questions over expenditure by the Garden Department.

The latest tanker purchase has therefore brought renewed scrutiny on the scale of spending being undertaken in the name of making Ahmedabad greener.