The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has directed officials to seize vehicles more than 15 years old operating on city roads and seal construction sites allegedly violating rules in the Airport and Raikhad areas, as part of a broader pollution-control and civic services review.
The directions were issued at a review meeting chaired by the AMC commissioner on Wednesday, according to a report by Gujarat Samachar. Officials from the Regional Transport Office and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board attended the discussion on pollution control. The commissioner instructed the departments to coordinate their enforcement measures and take firm action.
The meeting also reviewed construction activity in Airport and Raikhad where work was reportedly continuing without compliance with applicable rules. The commissioner directed officials to seal such sites. The report did not specify the number of construction projects involved, the exact violations identified or the timeline for the sealing action.
Traffic management was another focus of the review. The AMC has been asked to accelerate the marking of 4,500 bus stops so that buses stop at designated locations and do not obstruct traffic. The report did not state how many bus stops have already been marked or provide a deadline for completing the exercise.
Officials also reviewed encroachments around underground utility areas and vegetable markets. The commissioner warned that officers could receive show-cause notices if the encroachments were not removed, while responsibility would be fixed for delays in carrying out the work, the report said.
Public toilet maintenance came under scrutiny after a presentation at the start of the meeting. Problems were identified in several areas, including inadequate painting and defects involving doors, windows, lighting and pipelines. The commissioner expressed dissatisfaction with action against contractors and directed officials to remove encroachments around public toilets. The AMC plans to construct 52 new toilet blocks, with 27 locations already identified. Officials were asked to speed up the tender process so that work could begin at those sites. A vigilance team will also survey smart toilets to assess their actual condition.
The civic body reported that 76% of the city’s waste was being segregated. The meeting was also told that the digitalisation of solid-waste management was close to completion. Under the ‘Samvedna’ project, vehicles will collect reusable items from bulk waste-generating housing societies and malls for distribution to families in need.
The review additionally covered civic education and welfare measures. More than 2,000 books collected at a book fair are to be distributed among the children of municipal sanitation workers. Municipal school students and their parents will also receive training intended to develop civic responsibility and civic sense from an early age. The report did not provide implementation dates for these initiatives.
