₹40 cr spent on Vastrapur lake redevelopment in 20 years, concerns raised over quality

Over the past 20 years, more than ₹40 crore has been spent on the redevelopment of Vastrapur Lake, one of the prominent landmarks of western Ahmedabad, raising serious concerns about inefficiency and quality of work.

Located in the Bodakdev ward, the lake has undergone multiple redevelopment projects. A project that was initially supposed to be completed within six months ended up taking over a year. There are also discussions within political circles suggesting that the lake has become a recurring ‘development project’ site for authorities.

Originally developed in 2002 after clearing slum areas, the lake has faced repeated issues. At one point, even rodent infestation reportedly caused significant financial losses.

Since the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) handed over possession of the lake to the Municipal Corporation, authorities have frequently undertaken new development initiatives, often spending large sums. However, many of these efforts have failed to deliver lasting results.

Recently, the lake reopened for visitors and has been facing issues like algae growth and foul smell in the water. Within just four months, the condition of the lake has deteriorated, allegedly due to poor-quality work.

In 2019, then Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra had stopped sewage water from entering the lake. Subsequently, a tertiary treatment plant costing around ₹2 crore was installed to purify the water, but this initiative also failed to produce effective results.

Out of more than 140 lakes under the Amdavad Municipal Corporation, official records state that Ahmedabad has a total of 156 lakes. A plan to interlink 45 lakes through a network system remains incomplete.

As a result, many lakes continue to receive sewage water instead of rainwater, leading to algae growth, pollution, and unbearable foul odor.