AMC to replenish Sabarmati for Jal Yatra from June 22Ahmedabad: In preparation for the traditional Jal Yatra on June 29, the AMC will begin replenishing the Sabarmati, starting June 22. Standing committee chairman Kamlesh Patel said, “This ensures adequate water levels for the religious and cultural events preceding the Rath Yatra.” The AMC is planning 1.5-crore tree plantation drive, with an ambitious target of planting 30 lakh trees in a single day. However, internal discussions highlighted significant challenges, including a shortage of saplings nurseries and concerns over long-term maintenance and sustainability. Finally, the committee approved the induction of 300 new EV AC regular buses, negotiated at a rate of Rs 91.08 per km through a consortium.
white topping road
‘Move utilities to side before laying white-topped roads’A major policy shift was announced by the standing committee regarding ‘white topped’ (RCC) roads. Following instances where newly laid roads in the East Zone were dug up within three months for utility repairs, the standing committee on Thursday mandated that such roads will now only be constructed if utilities are located on the side or moved there first. For student safety, a new foot-over bridge (FOB) was approved in the Kubernagar ITI area. To facilitate this, the estate department has been ordered to clear encroachments on the existing 9-metre road to allow construction to begin immediately.Nod for high-tech flood monitoringThe AMC has officially approved the ‘Rain2Resilience’ project, a citywide urban flood monitoring and decision support platform. Developed in collaboration with IIT Gandhinagar, the Rs 5.7 crore initiative aims to provide real-time data to manage urban flooding more effectively, said the standing committee chairman Kamlesh Patel. Regarding immediate road safety, the civic body is pushing to make Ahmedabad pothole-free before heavy rains. Out of 16 major breakdown sites, 14 have already been repaired. The remaining two sites in the Gota area are scheduled for completion by June 23 and June 30. Additionally, there are 144 settlement locations linked to ongoing drainage and stormwater work. Currently, 42 of these are barricaded and under active repair.
