Ahmedabad lakes stay underdeveloped despite ₹100 cr expenditure
Updated: Feb 28th, 2024
As per the details provided to the Dariyapur corporator, the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has spent around ₹100 cr on the city’s lakes in the last 15 years.
However, despite this expenditure, most of the lakes are in subpar condition.
Several expenses have been piling up for the AMC in looking after the city’s lakes.
Private firms are given contracts to develop the AMC-run lakes. Every contractor undertaking a project gets a liability period of one year after the allotment of the contract.
After which, any issue arising in the lakes is being dealt with by the AMC, which also has to bear the expenses for the same.
Along with the lake development, a walkway, garden, play area, and utilities are also provided. But no such development has been done at Naroda’s Karia Lake.
Asopalav Garden Consultants was given a contract to develop ‘Namo Van’ in Bapunagar ward in the North Zone at a cost of ₹3 cr.
Moreover, no lakes in the city’s Central and South zones have undergone any development work.
Expenditure after Ahmedabad’s lakes:
Lake | Expenditure (in crores) |
Charodi | ₹5.26 |
Ratanpura (Vastral) | ₹8.18 |
Dashamata (Vastral) | ₹12 |
Odhav | ₹5.04 |
Lambha | ₹4.21 |
Vatva | ₹10 |
Gota (ongoing) | ₹5.09 |
Sola (ongoing) | ₹4.94 |
Thaltej (ongoing) | ₹4.79 |
Shilaj (ongoing) | ₹5.25 |
Vivekanand (tendering) | ₹1.11 |
Sakri, Sarkhej (ongoing) | ₹19.23 |
Okaf (ongoing) | ₹13.23 |
The Vastrapur Lake saga continues
Vastrapur Lake in the North West zone’s Bodakdev ward has been closed to the public over the renovation works undertaken at the site. This project is to be finished by Aug 27 of this year.
However, sources associated with the North West Zone’s engineering department stated that this work could be prolonged for an uncertain period.
An additional expense of ₹10 cr is to be made for developing a garden at the lake after it is redeveloped.
Vastrapur Lake was developed by the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) in 2003.
Over time, several expenses have been made over this iconic lake.
Four fountains, costing ₹40 lakh each, were installed at the four gates of the lake during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the city.
The installation of an umbrella over the Narsinh Mehta statue near the lake cost ₹50 lakh.
Around 40 CCTV cameras, costing around ₹1 lakh each, were installed in and around the lake premises under the smart city development project.
A music system was installed for the visitors at the lake.
A tertiary treatment plant was developed at the lake at a cost of ₹2 cr to keep it filled with treated water.
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