Ahmedabad Construction At Pakwan Road Causes Parking Business Losses
A sudden civic project on Pakwan Road in Ahmedabad’s upscale Bodakdev area has ignited tension between commercial property owners and the municipal administration. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has begun road expansion work aimed at creating a left-turn corridor towards SG Highway.
However, the speed and manner of implementation have left retailers, office-goers, and diners reeling under daily business losses and logistical disruption. Occupants of a commercial complex near the construction zone allege that the project was launched with almost no public consultation. A short-notice intimation issued on a Saturday was followed by ground-breaking work the very next morning, leaving little room for stakeholder feedback or adjustments. According to local business owners, the development has blocked critical visitor parking, affected the service lane, and compromised water supply lines and basement-level infrastructure. Popular eateries and retailers along Pakwan Road are reporting sharp drops in footfall and revenue. A restaurant operator said their outlet alone is facing daily losses nearing ₹80,000. The disruption, they claim, affects not just dining outlets but also medical services, offices, and retail showrooms that depend heavily on accessible parking and a clear service corridor.
The project has also led to construction-related damage, including broken drainage systems and impaired pedestrian pathways. Basement parking structures now lie directly below parts of the newly dug-up road section, raising concerns about long-term structural safety. Commercial stakeholders are accusing civic contractors of ignoring site-specific challenges and implementing generic road solutions that are not aligned with local infrastructure needs.
Adding to the growing unease is the appearance of a concealed statue near the under-construction intersection. Sources at the site have confirmed that the structure is a Ganesha idol, reportedly scheduled for public installation. Several business occupants have criticised the move as a misplaced civic priority, pointing out that scarce urban space should be allocated for traffic management, not for unconsulted religious displays.
Officials from AMC have remained largely unavailable for comment. No public brief or impact assessment related to the roadwork has been released so far. Experts in urban governance say this reflects a broader governance gap in how Indian cities carry out infrastructure development, where process transparency and stakeholder participation are often compromised in the rush to execute physical upgrades.
As Ahmedabad continues to urbanise rapidly, city authorities face mounting pressure to balance infrastructural efficiency with socio-economic equity. The current row over the Pakwan Road project is a clear example of what happens when developmental decisions lack inclusive planning and effective communication. A city’s liveability depends not just on concrete and traffic movement but also on how its civic actions impact people’s livelihoods, accessibility, and sense of agency.
