Ahmedabad: The daily commute of most Amdavadis has turned into a slow, dusty crawl as more than 100 civic works have been rolled out simultaneously across the city. Roads have been ripped open, diversions have multiplied, and traffic bottlenecks have become routine, as the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) pushes ahead with water, drainage and stormwater projects worth over Rs 3,000 crore.For the AMC, the churn is part of a long-delayed reset of underground infrastructure. For residents and businesses, the inconvenience is immediate. Ask anyone stuck near a barricaded junction and the frustration spills out quickly. Office-goers leave home earlier but still arrive late. Two-wheelers weave dangerously through gaps, adding to safety concerns. Localities resemble temporary construction camps, with mounds of earth, metal sheets and caution tape lining the streets. Businesses along key routes report slower sales and unpredictable customer flow. Ambulances and emergency vehicles move cautiously through congested corridors while even routine errands feel like logistical exercises. Dust settles on balconies and parked vehicles despite repeated cleaning. In residential areas, constant drilling and excavation disrupt sleep and routine.Though AMC claims to be deploying micro-tunnelling technology to reduce the number of open trenches, the volume of simultaneous works is unprecedented. Civic officials point out that after the major 2012 stormwater duct project in Jodhpur ward, annual stormwater works typically remained in the Rs 20 crore to Rs 25 crore range. In the past two years, stormwater spending alone has crossed Rs 1,000 crore.Over the past two years, AMC has launched 48 stormwater network projects costing about Rs 1,080 crore, over 30 drainage line replacement works valued at more than Rs 1,500 crore, and water network upgrades worth more than Rs 600 crore.A senior civic official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a pollution action plan was prepared following the Indore incident to prevent contamination of drinking water in older localities. “The plan involves replacing all drainage and water pipelines in areas such as Jamalpur, Dariapur, Shahibaug and Khadia, for Rs 421.23 crore. The broader package covering stormwater lines, lake interlinking, micro-tunnelling and pumping stations exceeds Rs 1,000 crore,” the official added.The map of excavation spans the city: a Rs 36.27-crore RCC duct from Vejalpur’s Sonal Cinema to the Sabarmati via Makarba Police Headquarters; a Rs 70.32-crore micro-tunnelled line from Anjali Crossroads under Ambedkar Bridge to the river; and a Rs 68.99-crore link from Manekbaug to Anjali. Lakes are being interlinked for Rs 104.08 crore in the West Zone and Rs 97.50 crore in the East Zone to better manage monsoon flows. Along the SP Ring Road, a Rs 205.97-crore trunk mains line is being built from the Express Highway to Komod village.Drainage replacements in Shahpur (Rs 104.12 crore), Shahibaug (Rs 51.70 crore), Jamalpur (Rs 53.21 crore), Khadia (Rs 55.13 crore), Asarwa (Rs 97.09 crore) and Dariapur (Rs 59.98 crore) form another layer of the overhaul, alongside pumping stations in Geratpur (Rs 35 crore), TP Schemes 89 and 90 (Rs 17 crore) and Ekta Nagar (Rs 17 crore). A Rs 76-crore trunk line is being micro-tunnelled from Naroda to Jashodanagar.Engineers acknowledge that some roads may settle during the 2026 monsoon as the soil compacts over deep trenches. “Extensive stormwater, drainage and water network works have triggered complaints about digging and traffic, but these will hopefully be completed before the monsoon and resolve rainwater problems for citizens,” assured a senior civic official.
