Ahmedabad’s claims of being a liveable and Smart City are facing questions as residents continue to complain about poor basic civic services. In the last 11 months alone, citizens filed 8,10,561 online complaints related to services provided by the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC).
Nearly half of these complaints — 4,57,097 — were linked to sewer overflows, contaminated water supply and road works handled by the engineering department. Road-related problems emerged as a major issue, with 96,298 complaints registered against ongoing and faulty engineering works.
The Central Zone recorded the highest number of complaints, with 1,38,922 grievances, largely due to alleged lapses by the engineering department. Road works were the main reason for public dissatisfaction. Environmental issues have also come to the fore, with 172 complaints related to poor air quality reported across the city.
Despite the announcement of infrastructure projects worth crores in preparation for the Commonwealth Games 2030, residents say the situation on the ground tells a different story. Basic facilities such as drinking water supply, sewerage systems and roads continue to remain inadequate in many areas. With the civic body’s term nearing its end, critics allege that more attention is being given to events and publicity-driven initiatives than to long-pending civic problems.
Air pollution has become an added concern along with routine civic issues, highlighting growing public anxiety over worsening environmental conditions.
The problem of stray cattle on roads also remains unresolved despite repeated directions from the Gujarat High Court. The AMC has received more than 17,000 complaints related to stray cattle this year.
Similarly, while new gardens have been developed across the city, poor maintenance has led to around 67,000 complaints, further raising questions about civic efficiency and the credibility of Ahmedabad’s Smart City claims.