The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) ambitious plans to provide 24×7 uninterrupted metered water supply to Bopal-Ghuma hit several roadblocks recently.A work order for laying a crucial 2,500mm main trunk line from Jaspur water treatment plant to Vaishnodevi, costing Rs 91.33 crore, was issued in Oct 2022 with a Jan 2024 completion deadline. The project has hit a wall owing to cumbersome bureaucratic processes. Similarly, a Rs 99.99 crore contract for building a 200MLD capacity water treatment plant (WTP) at Jaspur, awarded in Dec 2022, was supposed to be completed by Dec 2023, but the project is yet to see the light of the day.
A senior AMC official, however, said that both projects will be completed by April-May 2024, providing much-needed water security to Bopal-Ghuma. Currently, the area receives only 15MLD of water daily, while new connections are being provided by AUDA.
Adding to the residents’ woes, a Rs 77.53 crore water project sanctioned by AUDA five years ago and completed in July 2022 to provide metered 24×7 water supply to Bopal-Ghuma, Shela, and surrounding areas also seems to have fallen short. The network was laid in TP Scheme area (1, 2, and 3), but residents haven’t seen a significant progress in the project. The project included supplying Narmada water from Jaspur WTP, house connections, water meter fittings, and a SCADA system for management. It’s not Bopal-Ghuma areas that suffer alone, work on 11 water distribution stations being constructed across the city at a cost of Rs 212 crore has not been completed within the time limit.
A similar pilot project had begun for Jodhpur ward in 2013 by spending Rs 50 crore, but residents still face inconsistent water supply.
Meanwhile, AMC has requested an additional 125MLD of Narmada water daily by summer 2024 to cater to the growing population of Ahmedabad city (72 lakh). With existing supplies reaching 1,550-1,600 million litres a day (MLD), the new projects were crucial to fulfill this demand. However, their delays raise concerns about the city’s ability to manage its water resources effectively.