Roads Built First, Digging Begins Next? AMC Plans ₹142 Crore Drainage Project For Bopal-Ghuma

Residents of Bopal and Ghuma are staring at fresh civic disruptions as the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) prepares to execute a major ₹142.05 crore storm water drainage overhaul. While the project aims to permanently resolve the severe waterlogging that submerged residential societies earlier this year, it threatens to tear up newly constructed roads, sparking anger over poor urban planning and wasted taxpayer money.

The decision follows heavy monsoon downpours that inundated several areas, including South Bopal and Basant Bahar Society, flooding homes and exposing the lack of adequate drainage infrastructure.

Hydrological Study Exposes Five-Year Planning Lag

Bopal and Ghuma were merged into the AMC limits in 2021. However, it took five years for the civic body to complete a comprehensive hydrological study of the region. The findings revealed that the area's low-lying topography, combined with the absence of a proper storm water network, was directly causing chronic waterlogging during heavy spells.

To address the issue, the AMC has finalized a master plan to build new storm water lines, catchpits, inter-connections, and outfalls. The project will cover a 710.55-hectare catchment area across Bopal Lake, Ghuma Lake, and Ratan Lake. Tenders have already been floated for the first three phases of work.

Designed to cater to a future population of 3.5 lakh—up from the current 1.5 lakh—the plan includes setting up a dedicated pumping station at Ratan Lake to flush out excess rainwater. Long-term measures also outline connecting the drainage network to the Gota-Godhavi canal and the Sabarmati River.

Taxpayer Money Down The Drain As Fresh Digging Looms

Despite the promised relief, the timing of the project has drawn sharp criticism. Civic authorities spent massive funds constructing and surfacing roads across Bopal and Ghuma following their merger into municipal limits. Laying the new drainage pipelines will now require digging up these freshly laid roads.

Local residents face the prospect of months of traffic diversions, narrowed roads, and widespread dust pollution. Beyond the immediate inconvenience, critics point out that uncoordinated execution means public funds have effectively been spent twice—first to build the roads, and now to dig them up and rebuild them.