Ahmedabad’s suburban expansion is under scrutiny as residential developments surge ahead of essential utility infrastructure, raising concerns over waterlogging, drainage failures, and urban resilience. Areas including Shela, Manipur, Godhavi, and Sanathal are witnessing rapid habitation even as stormwater, sewerage, and water supply networks lag behind, exposing residents to recurring monsoon flooding and service disruptions. Urban planners highlight that the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) has approved numerous projects in these peripheries without coordinating simultaneous installation of underground utilities. Over the past decade, approvals for more than 50 residential and commercial schemes in Shela alone were granted before comprehensive stormwater and drainage lines were laid, resulting in repeated disruption as retroactive construction works are now underway.
The lag in infrastructure rollout has tangible consequences. During a heavy rainfall event in mid-2024, several neighbourhoods in Shela reported significant inundation, underscoring the vulnerability of rapidly urbanising suburbs. Citizens face not only inconvenience and property risk but also public health concerns related to stagnant water and inadequate sewage systems. A senior AUDA official noted that ongoing construction is intensifying pressure on already limited networks, amplifying the need for integrated planning between urban development and utility provisioning.
AUDA has since initiated large-scale remedial projects, leveraging loans from multilateral agencies to establish stormwater and sewer networks across Shela, Godhavi, Manipur, Sanathal, and Telav. The planned interventions include nearly 50 km of underground pipelines, over 7 km of reinforced concrete box drains, and seven pumping stations, with several local ponds being linked to the stormwater network to channel excess water into the Gota-Godhavi canal. While these efforts aim to mitigate immediate flooding risk, experts warn that piecemeal execution and retrofitting can never fully match the efficiency of proactive, integrated urban planning.
The situation in Ahmedabad illustrates a broader challenge for Indian cities balancing rapid real estate development with climate-resilient infrastructure. Urban growth, if disconnected from water management and drainage systems, can exacerbate flooding, undermine property values, and impede equitable access to essential services. Industry experts stress the importance of sequential planning prioritising foundational utilities before approving mass residential or commercial projects to ensure sustainable urbanisation and minimise long-term costs for municipalities and residents alike. As AUDA progresses with the master plan, the focus remains on linking urban expansion to functional infrastructure networks. For citizens and investors, the unfolding scenario serves as a cautionary example: unchecked growth without resilient utility frameworks carries both social and economic risks, and future urban policy must embed climate-smart design into approval processes.
