Over 36,000 sewerage complaints in Ahmedabad’s south zone despite crores spent on cleaning

Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) spends more than ₹26 crore annually on sewer cleaning and paying contractors thousands of rupees every month, but the civic body continues to grapple with a mounting sewerage crisis. More than 36,000 complaints related to overflowing drains and clogged sewer lines have been recorded in Danilimda and Behrampura wards alone in the past 16 months.

Civic data suggests municipal contractors are paid nearly ₹50,000 per month for sewer cleaning work. However, complaints related to overflowing drains, clogged sewer lines and delayed maintenance continue to rise across multiple wards.

In Behrampura ward, residents registered 27,455 complaints related to basic civic facilities over the past 16 months, of which 16,791 were connected to sewerage issues.

Similarly, in Danilimda ward, 29,350 complaints regarding primary civic services were recorded during the same period, including 19,803 complaints linked specifically to sewerage problems.

Sources said more than 20 cooperative societies and agencies were involved in desilting and sewer-cleaning operations in the two wards. Reliable sources also claimed that a former councillor  was allegedly managing a majority of the societies carrying out the work in Behrampura ward.

In Lambha ward, which was incorporated into AMC limits in 2010, the Sewerage Engineering Department reportedly received 15,843 complaints, while another 15,594 sewerage-related complaints were registered in Maninagar ward.

Maninagar, considered among the more developed and prosperous areas of the south zone, has also witnessed growing public dissatisfaction over delayed sewer maintenance work.

Locals alleged that complaints often remain unresolved for long periods and, in several cases, drainage problems reappear within days of repair work.

Residents claimed that the failure to address sewerage complaints promptly had caused significant inconvenience and health concerns in many parts of the south zone.