AMC spent ₹200 cr on storm water drainage in 10 years, yet rainwater takes hours to recede

Amdavad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) Drainage department spent nearly ₹200 crore over the last decade on storm water drainage lines, pumping station operations, and maintenance. However, citizens continue to suffer from prolonged waterlogging after just one inch of rainfall.

All storm water pumping stations have been handed over to contractors. Recently, a video from Sardarnagar pumping station went viral on social media, showing employees sleeping during heavy rain, highlighting their negligence.

In the past 10 years, only 30% of the planned storm water drainage network has been laid. Of the total 980 km storm water line, around 35% is in western Ahmedabad, while 65% lies in eastern areas, according to AMC’s data.

In Jodhpur ward’s Prahladnagar and Anandnagar areas, a 29 km-long drainage line costing ₹29 crore was installed. Similarly, in 2019, a massive project worth ₹105 crore was executed on Ashram Road. Despite such heavy expenditure, new waterlogging spots keep increasing every year.

Officials have been accused of focusing only on desk-based planning instead of ground-level execution, leaving residents to face hours of water stagnation after each spell of rain.