37 out of 172 water bodies in Ahmedabad have ‘vanished': Civic body report
As demolitions and evictions at Chandola Lake brought the spotlight back on lakes, an internal report of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has claimed that of the 172 water bodies in the city, 37 have 'vanished'.
The Indian Express, which has accessed this report, visited some of the sites where once there were lakes, only to find private and government buildings on them now.
The AMC report seems in line with the report of a High Level Committee (HLC) on Urban Planning under the Urban Development and Urban Housing department that was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Gujarat in May.
While citing examples of 'vanished' lakes in Ahmedabad, the HLC report suggests, 'Authorities and developers should ensure that the flow of the streams is not restricted by development. Any linear, public infrastructure cutting across water channels should be retrofitted to allow unhindered passage of water.'
The HLC report, which tackles various issue related to urban development in the state, points out that the overall area of water bodies along four lakes — Vastrapur, Memnagar, Thaltej and Sola — in Ahmedabad 'has reduced by almost 46 per cent'.
Highlighting the role of and challenges faced by urban water systems and their planning, the report has listed the case study of Vastrapur lake and smaller lakes around it. A comparative analysis, for instance: the aerial imagery from 2000, and 2020 of Vastrapur lake, indicates a declining trend in blue-cover, highlighting the rapid loss of water bodies due to unregulated urban development.
'In the 2000 aerial image, the lake is prominently visible. However, in TPS (Town Planning Scheme) Bodakdev 1B, the lake was appropriated, its land use reclassified, and a proposal for Socially and Economically Weaker Sections (SEWS) housing was introduced. Further analysis of the 2020 aerial imagery shows that a haat (marketplace) had been constructed on the site, completely replacing the lake. This case clearly demonstrates how statutory plans often lack water sensitivity, facilitating the conversion of water bodies into developable land and ultimately leading to their disappearance', the report states.
According to this report, the water bodies vanished because they were not recognised in the statutory plan, citing more cases in the city.
The HLC report, in its list of suggestions, also states that mapping of streams should be 'integral to plan-making'.
The AMC's internal report mentions that an unnamed lake in Thaltej not only has on it a residential society, but also a water distribution centre of the civic body.
When asked about the encroachment on the lakes, an AMC official said, 'In places where buildings have come up, we are taking a call on a case-by-case basis after sending proposals to the state government. This is a policy matter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
43 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Congress releases BJP's '11 year' report card, flags rising hunger, inequality
The Congress on Monday (June 9, 2025) released a booklet to mark Narendra Modi's 11 years at the Centre, highlighting stagnated growth rate, rising hunger, and his "unfulfilled promises". Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, said that the booklet, '11 Saal, Jhoothe Vikaas ke vade', commemorates "some of the biggest lies of this Government." Addressing a press conference, AICC research department head Rajeev Gowda, who prepared the booklet, alleged, "This government is very good at fake news and propaganda. It is our job as the Opposition to get people to know this grim reality." He said that to expose the BJP's on its promises the party was releasing two sets of documents. The booklet, 'Ek Aur Baar Jumla Sarkar', he said, looks at the promises made by the BJP in its 2024 manifesto, and has since made. The other one, he said, is '11 Saal Jhoote Vikaas Ke Vaade', which is a "detailed exposé" of the "hollow promises" of the BJP. "In the 11-Saal document, one of the first themes that they (BJP) highlight is taking care of the poor and the marginalised. They are very happy that 81 crore people are getting free food grains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). But the basic problem of hunger is a much larger crisis in India, and it puts us at 105th out of 127 countries in the World Hunger Index. "Its implications: malnutrition is affecting our children in a horrible way, crippling their growth. Stunting is at 35.5%; Wasting is at 19.3%; Underweight is at 32.1%," Mr. Gowda said. He said that nearly a third of Indian children are suffering from malnutrition, even as the BJP insists on Viksit Bharat. "Let's remind our PM that he has a duty to our children and their future. They (BJP) claim that they have created 4 times the Eklavya residential schools since 2014. They have announced 700+ schools, out of which 300 are still non-functional. Is it rocket science to set up and run a school?" he wondered. The Congress leader also alleged that the Centre's claim that India added over 5,000 defence items to the indigenisation list was also not true. "Sadly, 40% of the items listed for indigenisation have not been indigenized as of now. India remains one of the top importers of defence rather than a producer and exporter. "If you look at 'mission mode DRDO projects', 23 out of 55 have been delayed, and the share of R&D in our defence budget is only 5.45%," he said. Neither is the claim that India was the fastest-growing large economy was true, he said. "This is true, but what rate are we growing? Are we able to encash our demographic dividend? Any economist will tell you that if we grow below 8.5% a year, we are sacrificing the future of crores and crores of our youngsters because we will not have enough growth, jobs and opportunities that are required to just fulfil the target—the great jumla — 2 crores jobs per year," he claimed. He said India's growth is 6.5% over the last year, which is the lowest rate after the COVID period. "So, what is happening in this 11th year of your Sarkaar, PM Modi? What is happening is reflected in the response of the private sector. Is the Indian private sector investing in India? If you look at the investment figures, after you have given the bonanza tax cut, nothing has changed. They still don't have confidence in the management of your economy to invest," the Congress leader said. He said the fixed capital formation has come down to 32.4%, which was an 11-year low. "There is another legacy: the glaring inequality. The share of wealth in India's top 1% of people is 40%. And the bottom 50% have to make do with just over 3%," the former Congress MP said, adding that this is not the economy the country wants. Mr. Gowda said that at top universities, 5,000 teaching posts were vacant as of November 2024 and 35% of faculty posts at AIIMS-Delhi and the new AIIMS had over 40% faculty vacancy. He sought to blow a hole also into the Centre's UDAN Scheme and the ease of living standards for middle-class India in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. "More than 50% of approved routes never took off by 2023. Of the 619 routes under the UDAN Scheme, only 323 are operational. After ₹4,500 crore spent, UDAN is still struggling to fly," he said. Mr. Gowda said 142 crore trees were planted under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam', but the highest tree cover loss has been recorded under the BJP government. Congress leader Mahima Singh said in the last 11 years there have been only 'jumlas'. She said that though the BJP claimed that the government distributed ₹3.7 lakh crore to PM Kisan beneficiaries between April 2022 and November 2023, about 2.25 crore beneficiaries were removed from the list.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
11 Years of Modi Govt: From tomorrow, Centre to spotlight G20, Operation Sindoor, pension reform and more
Operation Sindoor, the successful hosting of the G20 summit in Delhi, the evacuation of Indians from Sudan and Ukraine, and a surge in defence exports: these will headline the national security achievements to be showcased by the Narendra Modi government as it marks 11 years in office on Tuesday, The Indian Express has learnt. In addition, the government will highlight other flagship policies and decisions implemented since it assumed power for a third consecutive term last year. These include the Cabinet's approval of caste enumeration in the upcoming census to secure accurate data for policymaking, and the rollout of a unified pension scheme to provide assured pensions to central government employees. The inauguration of India's first vertical lift sea bridge—the Pamban rail bridge—and the clearance for the Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express are also part of the list. Also on the list is progress under several flagship schemes since returning to power in 2024: guaranteed income via MSP, a special national mission to boost domestic production of pulses and reduce import dependency, steady access to electricity in rural areas, and affordable urea for all, among others. According to officials, the broader themes of the government's planned campaign include: serving the poor and marginalised, infrastructure development, Nari Shakti, the northeast, farmer welfare, national security and foreign policy, and ease of doing business. Government schemes and initiatives will be grouped under these categories, with Cabinet ministers and Ministers of State expected to play a key role in messaging. Officials told The Indian Express that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) began collating major reforms, achievements, and initiatives from the last 11 years—as well as progress made since June 2024—as early as April, to design a creative campaign. I&B Secretary Sanjay Jaju is learnt to have written to all ministries requesting relevant inputs for the campaign. Additionally, the I&B Ministry is learnt to have sought from other ministries a list of suitable locations for media tours to showcase the on-ground implementation of government schemes. According to officials, the tours aim to provide journalists an opportunity to interact with beneficiaries and other stakeholders, and to witness outcomes first-hand. The month-long media tours are intended to highlight success stories, innovations, and best practices in a bid to raise public awareness of the government's programmes and initiatives.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
India Under PM Modi: 11 Years of Good Governance
Last Updated: The government's focus on inclusive growth through 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' and self-reliance through Aatmanirbhar Bharat will continue to shape India's trajectory June 9, 2025, marks the completion of 11 years of governance under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under his leadership, the country has made substantial progress in economic development, social progress, and has strengthened its position as a key global player. In the past 11 years, India's economy has expanded considerably. When PM Modi took office in 2014, the GDP per capita (based on purchasing power parity) was around $5,000, and today it has increased to over $12,000, a 240 per cent rise. The International Monetary Fund projects a 6.2 per cent growth rate for India in the FY 2025-26, higher than China's 4 per cent, US' 1.8 per cent, Japan's 0.6 per cent and the UK's 1.1 per cent, making India the fastest-growing major economy in the world. India has overtaken Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy, with a GDP exceeding $4 trillion. It is to the dynamic leadership of PM Modi that today India's economy has doubled from $2.1 trillion in 2015 to $4.3 trillion in 2025, a 105 per cent growth in mere 10 years. This growth wouldn't have been possible, without major policy changes like the Goods and Services Tax, implemented in 2017. The gross GST revenue collected in the FY 2024- 25 was over Rs 22.08 lakh crore, of which the Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST) was Rs 4.13 lakh crore, the State Goods and Service Tax (SGST) was Rs 5.16 lakh crore, and the Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST) was Rs 11.25 lakh crore. The 'Make in India" initiative, launched in 2014, is starting to showcase its potential and success. For instance, Apple vendors nearly doubled exports of iPhones from India from Rs 85,000 crore in FY23- 24 to Rs 1.5 lakh crore in FY 24-25. The production-linked incentive scheme, offering $24 billion in incentives since November 2023, supports sectors like electronics and drones. India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has overtaken Visa in daily transaction volume. On June 1, UPI processed 64.4 crore transactions, followed by over 65 crore on June 2. In contrast, Visa's average daily transaction volume in the financial year 2024 stood at 63.9 crore. Digital payments via UPI are projected to reach $1 trillion by FY26, growing at 40- 50 per cent annually. Infrastructure development has accelerated, with 36 km of highways built daily compared to only 8-11 km under UPA, and 100 per cent rural electrification has been achieved. In this period, foreign direct investment rose from $36 billion in 2013-14 to $709.84 billion over the decade, and India's exports jumped from $318 billion to $825 billion. Under the 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas" philosophy championed by PM Modi, social welfare programmes have expanded significantly. The Aadhaar system, covering 99 per cent of adults, enables direct benefit transfers, reducing subsidy leakages, with $34 trillion transferred using the Jan Dhan scheme. Rural development includes building 12 crore toilets, and providing tap water to over 15 crore households with eight states and three UTs having achieved 100 per cent water coverage in January 2025 itself. The Ujjwala scheme distributed 10 crore gas connections, and Ayushman Bharat issued 37 crore health cards. Food subsidies increased nearly fivefold since 2019, supporting access to affordable grains. Over 10 crore farmers have received Rs 3.75 lakh crore in financial support. Together these and other measures have ensured that India has significantly reduced our extreme poverty rate, from 27.1 per cent in 2011-12 to only 5.3 per cent in 2022-23, as revealed by the latest World Bank data. This means, under the inclusive leadership of PM Modi, 27 crore individuals were lifted out of extreme poverty in the past 11 years. Another critical aspect in which India has made substantial advancements is in the defence sector. India's defence exports have grown from Rs 1,941 crore in 2014 to Rs 23,662 crore in 2024, reflecting a gradual shift from 'defence buyer" to 'defence exporter". Under PM Modi, India is pushing for military modernisation with focus on aatmanirbharta (self-reliance). In the coming decade, the defence sector is set to become a major contributor to our economic growth. Over the past 11 years, India has achieved robust economic growth despite global challenges such as Covid-19 pandemic, war between Russia and Ukraine disturbing the global economic scenario, and the recent skirmish with Pakistan. India has made significant progress in GDP growth, social welfare expansion, infrastructure and industrial development, and defence modernisation, including increased exports. These advancements are gaining international recognition. The government's focus on inclusive growth through 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikash" and self-reliance through 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat" will continue to shape India's trajectory as we collectively aim for a $7 trillion economy by 2030, and a 'Vikshit Bharat" status by 2047. Let us all work together to realise this goal. Raju Bista is the Member of Parliament from Darjeeling, and BJP national spokesperson. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views.
