Crores spent, problems remain: AMC faces backlash over old city sewage crisis

Civic complaints continue to pile up in Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) as residents across several areas of Ahmedabad struggle with overflowing sewage, leaking pipelines and contaminated water supply. Despite repeated promises of infrastructure upgrades, citizens have filed nearly 1.75 lakh complaints through the civic body’s online CCRS system over the past 19 months.

Data shows that around 1.35 lakh complaints were linked to the drainage engineering department alone, exposing major gaps in the corporation’s drainage and sewage management system. Complaints largely relate to sewage overflow, leakage in drainage and water pipelines, and incidents where sewage and drinking water lines allegedly got mixed.

The issue has been particularly severe in the old city and central zones, where residents claim basic civic facilities remain neglected despite paying regular taxes. Locals allege that even after repeated complaints, response from the administration remains slow, forcing many to live with unhygienic conditions and contaminated water supply.

In its 2024-25 budget, the AMC had allocated ₹480 crore for drainage-related works. However, reports indicate that only around ₹249.20 crore was spent. Additional funds were also earmarked for zonal-level works, but residents argue that visible improvement on the ground remains minimal.

The situation has also triggered criticism of elected corporators, with allegations that public representatives have failed to pressurize officials over worsening civic conditions in several wards. Residents claim complaints from some zones receive immediate attention, while areas in the central zone continue to face prolonged neglect.

Civic data from previous years also reflects fluctuations in drainage spending. In 2022-23, the estimated expenditure for drainage works stood at ₹159.95 crore, which was later revised to ₹196.30 crore. Despite repeated allocations and revised budgets, complaints related to drainage and sewage continue to dominate the corporation’s grievance records.