As Ahmedabad gears up to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, infrastructure issues loom large. The city is grappling with persistent sinkholes and potholes that highlight significant gaps in its civic systems.
Authorities have pledged over ₹2,000 crore for infrastructure development in the next four years. But recent history tells a different tale. In just five years, Ahmedabad has experienced more than 410 sinkholes, primarily due to aging underground pipelines and inadequate drainage systems. To date, the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has already forked out over ₹26 crore on repairs.
The promise of becoming a ‘tech-savvy’, modern city seems far-fetched when critical failures in basic services keep cropping up. One notable incident involved a sinkhole repair in Hatkeshwar that set back the civic body by around ₹57 lakh. This raises eyebrows about both construction quality and long-term planning strategies.
Potholes and road collapses have become everyday hazards, especially during monsoon season, threatening commuters’ safety and disrupting daily life. For over 15 years, successive budgets from the BJP-led administration have promised to replace outdated water and drainage pipelines—but many projects remain incomplete across various districts.
A ₹300 crore package was introduced by former Municipal Commissioner M Thennarasan aimed at revitalizing water and drainage lines in six wards within the city’s central zone. Yet three years later, there’s no clear record of what has been accomplished.
A corporator from Dariyapur recently sought detailed data regarding sinkholes and repair costs across all 48 wards. However, responses from different civic zones have varied significantly; while some provided partial information, others—like the South-West Zone—failed to disclose expenditure details entirely.
With an international event like the Commonwealth Games on the horizon, recurring issues such as weak drainage systems and road disruptions raise serious questions about Ahmedabad’s readiness for global scrutiny.