220 roads dug up, 105 areas flooded: AMC still ‘planning’ after monsoon hits

Even as Ahmedabad faced widespread waterlogging after heavy rain on Thursday night, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is still drafting its citywide storm water drainage plan. Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani said a detailed blueprint will be ready “within 15 days”—even though the monsoon has already begun.

Currently, the city has just 940 km of storm water drainage for a road network that spans over 2,500 km. After Thursday’s rainfall, which left 105 locations waterlogged—10 of them for more than eight hours—the AMC said it would prioritise high-risk areas in the upcoming plan.

Opposition demands action against officials over flooding

In response to the flooding, opposition leaders have demanded police complaints be filed against civic officials responsible for mismanagement. They pointed out that the AMC often floats tenders just weeks before the rainy season, and contract terms usually exclude the monsoon months—creating loopholes that allow for delays without penalties.

Despite Ahmedabad’s designation as a Smart City, problems like road cave-ins, sewer backflows, and seasonal flooding continue to disrupt daily life during the monsoon.

220 sites dug up, at least 58 at risk of road collapse 

Over the past eight months, the AMC’s drainage department has dug up 220 locations across the city. While 162 have been marked as completed, work is still ongoing at 31 sites. Another 27 have been temporarily filled with loose soil.

Civic officials admit that temporary soil fillings are especially vulnerable during heavy rain, as the soil may sink and increase the risk of road collapse. This leaves at least 58 sites across Ahmedabad at risk—forcing citizens to navigate unsafe and unfinished stretches with little guidance.

As per central guidelines, all road, sewer, and water works should be completed by June 30 or halted until after the monsoon. However, that deadline appears to have been missed at several key locations, with no clear completion timelines from contractors.

Ongoing and unstable works spread across key areas

Ongoing drainage works include:

• Saraswati Hospital to Shantipura Crossroads
• Bandhan Triangle to SG Highway
• Vastral Village Metro to Vastral Garden
• Nikol Village to Canal
• Odhav Pumping Station to Vyapari Mahajan Road
• Iskcon-Ambli Road
• Hebatpur Canal to SP Ring Road
• Gota, Capital to Hebatpur Road
• Ghatlodia – storm water line installation
• Shahibaug – duct breakdown repair

Sites with temporary soil filling include:

• Vastral Police Chowki to SP Ring Road
• Vastral Village to Eastern Trunk Main Line
• Nikol Village to Canal
• Aslali Circle to Canal
• Sarkhej Drainage to parallel Railway line
• Vastral Primary School to Residential Area
• Shantipura Junction to Metro Mall, Sarkhej
• Radhe Petrol Pump to Krish Icon Tanki, Thaltej
• Sanathal Circle to Fatehwadi Canal
• Express Highway to Ring Road, Ramol
• AMC to launch weather alert system for residents

To help citizens prepare for extreme weather, the AMC is developing a software tool in coordination with the meteorological department. The system will offer advance alerts on rainfall—covering timing, intensity, and location—and will be available via the AMC website and other public platforms.

Drainage department status at a glance

Total sites dug up: 220

Completed: 162

Ongoing: 31

Temporary soil filling: 27

Locations at risk of collapse due to rain: 58

With flood-prone locations still exposed and critical infrastructure plans arriving too late, Ahmedabad is once again entering the monsoon season unprepared. Despite years of Smart City branding and crores spent on drainage upgrades, the city remains stuck in a cycle of reactive planning and recurring failures. Road cave-ins, sewage backflows, and chronic waterlogging have become annual features, not anomalies. While the administration promises future fixes, residents are left to wade through the consequences—dodging open pits, unstable roads, and a system that too often responds after the damage is done.