The Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) has resolved to relocate an entire lake in Godhavi village, situated on the city’s periphery.
This extraordinary measure is being undertaken to facilitate the construction of a vital 45-metre wide road intended to seamlessly connect with the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), a project of national significance aimed at streamlining freight movement across the country. The rationale behind this unconventional urban planning manoeuvre stems from an unforeseen incompatibility with an existing DFC culvert, a critical structure designed to allow water flow beneath transportation infrastructure. AUDA officials have articulated that the planned Shela-Sanand connector road, a crucial artery for future urban and industrial connectivity, necessitates a realignment of its trajectory. The original path of this 45-metre wide thoroughfare was found to be in direct conflict with the established DFC culvert in Godhavi. Consequently, the revised plan now entails the road directly bisecting Mama Talavadi, a water body spanning over 4,000 square metres. To mitigate the ecological impact of this intersection, the AUDA board, in a meeting held on April 9th, approved a resolution to identify and allocate an alternative final plot of equivalent area for the physical relocation of the existing lake. This decision necessitates amendments to Godhavi’s Town Planning (TP) Scheme 437 to accommodate the revised road alignment and the subsequent land use changes.
The initial blueprint for the Shela-Sanand connector, a road envisioned in AUDA’s decade-long development plan approved in December 2014, had the thoroughfare gently curving past Mama Talavadi, thereby negating the need for any displacement of the water body. However, authorities now contend that a straight and efficient road alignment is paramount for optimal integration with the DFC culvert, leaving them with the contentious option of relocating the lake. Sources within AUDA have indicated that the dimensions of the existing culvert were deemed insufficient to seamlessly accommodate the originally planned 45-metre road width, leading to the unavoidable decision of realignment and lake relocation. This significant alteration in the development plan will inevitably trigger consequential changes in land usage within the agricultural zone designated under Godhavi’s TP Scheme 437, as well as in the broader Godhavi-Nidhard area. While certain land parcels will now be excluded from the road’s path and revert to their original agricultural zoning, new areas will be incorporated to accommodate the realigned infrastructure. The AUDA board has vested the chairman with the authority to oversee and execute these intricate modifications, highlighting the complexity and sensitivity of this undertaking.
The decision to relocate an entire lake, however, raises pertinent questions about the long-term ecological implications and the prioritisation of infrastructure development over the preservation of natural water bodies. This incident also brings to the forefront a broader pattern observed in AUDA’s urban planning approach, where draft TP schemes in areas surrounding Ahmedabad have shown a tendency to alter the natural shapes of lakes, often depicting them as uniformly circular with surrounding land designated for gardens. Furthermore, concerns have been raised regarding the filling of natural channels that historically connected these lakes, ostensibly to facilitate road construction, a practice that has been linked to issues of rainwater accumulation and urban flooding in areas like Shela. Despite having a significant number of lakes, Shela has grappled with substantial waterlogging during monsoons, indicating a potential lack of comprehensive rainwater drainage planning that effectively integrates these water bodies. This situation is further compounded by revelations that AUDA did not undertake any lake deepening initiatives in Shela over the past decade, despite state government directives aimed at enhancing rainwater storage capacity in both urban and rural areas. Moreover, historical inaccuracies in AUDA’s Ahmedabad Development Plan, created a decade ago, where water bodies were erroneously depicted at numerous locations, further underscore the challenges in ensuring accurate ecological mapping and sustainable urban planning practices.
The unprecedented decision to relocate Mama Talavadi serves as a stark reminder of the trade-offs inherent in rapid infrastructure development. While the Shela-Sanand connector road is undoubtedly crucial for enhancing connectivity with the vital Dedicated Freight Corridor, the ecological and social ramifications of altering natural water bodies warrant careful consideration and transparent communication. The long-term sustainability and liveability of Ahmedabad will depend on its ability to integrate infrastructure needs with a deep respect for its natural environment, ensuring that progress does not come at an irreversible ecological cost.
Ahmedabad Moves Lake for Freight Corridor
