The Bopal-Ghuma drainage project has received a ₹57 crore push from the Ahmedabad civic administration to address recurring monsoon flooding in Bopal, Ghuma, Shela, Hebatpur and nearby western suburbs. The plan includes large stormwater pipelines, lake interlinking and pumping stations intended to move excess rainwater towards the Gota-Godhavi canal.
The proposal for two projects in the Bopal-Ghuma area was approved after residents faced severe waterlogging during heavy rain, with roads and housing societies inundated. According to the report, some residents were forced to leave their homes, while properties were damaged. Flooding in the area had also triggered public anger towards municipal authorities.
Municipal Water Committee chairman Dharamshi Desai said the planning followed directions issued by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who represents the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Desai said the municipal administration was instructed to complete the necessary work before the coming monsoon.
Under one project in the South-West Zone, the civic body will lay a stormwater line network ranging from 300 mm to 2,400 mm in diameter. The network will connect and carry rainwater towards Ghuma village lake, Ghuma-1 lake and Ratna lake. Pumping stations are also planned near Bopal lake and Ratna lake to handle overflow from Ratna and Ghuma lakes. The pumped water will be discharged into the Gota-Godhavi canal.
A tender valued at ₹32.07 crore has been approved for this project, according to the report. The proposed network is intended to improve drainage capacity in the Bopal-Ghuma area, where expanding residential development has increased the number of built-up streets and housing societies exposed to intense rainfall.
A second project in the North-West Zone will add another stormwater network in Bopal-Ghuma and interlink the Rajthal, Chebli, Suryashreeji and Bopal lakes. This work will also include a 2,400 mm stormwater line, with rainwater directed towards the lakes and the Gota-Godhavi canal. Desai said the two projects would address the waterlogging problem faced by residents once completed.
The municipal administration has separately planned a pumping station and rising line in Hebatpur, where five lakes are located. Stormwater lines are already being laid in the area, and the new ₹8.59 crore project is intended to prevent the lakes from overflowing during heavy rain. The pumping station will discharge excess water into the Gota-Godhavi canal.
The projects are being advanced after a monsoon in which flooding affected several developing western suburbs. The immediate milestones identified by the civic administration are the implementation of the approved stormwater works, construction of the pumping facilities and completion of the drainage links before the next monsoon season.
