Encroachments stall Ahmedabad lake interlinking plan; civic body under scrutiny

The much-publicised plan to interlink lakes across Ahmedabad to ensure year-round water availability has hit a major roadblock, with thousands of encroachments continuing to occupy key water bodies and delay implementation.

Officials said as many as 2,681 encroachments have been identified across 16 lakes in the Narol, Lambha, Vatva and Isanpur wards. These include residential houses, commercial establishments, godowns, industrial units and even religious structures.

Despite the Amdavad Municipal Corporation having taken possession of 10 of these lakes, concerns have been raised over the failure to clear encroachments, with the estate department yet to take effective action.

In five years, the civic body and the ruling establishment have repeatedly announced plans to interlink lakes to improve groundwater levels and mitigate waterlogging during monsoons. However, officials and sources indicated that little progress has been made on the ground, largely due to the continued encroachments.

Data suggests that the affected lakes are occupied by over 2,500 residential structures, along with shops, industrial units and other constructions. In some cases, civic infrastructure such as pay-and-use toilets has also been developed on these water bodies, drawing criticism over alleged administrative lapses.

While isolated drives, including action around Chandola Lake, have seen some encroachments removed, similar efforts have not been sustained across other lakes, sources said.

Projects to interlink lakes such as Vatva, Hathijan Gam and Aslali, estimated to cost several crores, are reportedly progressing slowly due to the unresolved encroachment issue.