Ahmedabad's civic chaos: Drainage woes, waterlogging, and the illusion of Olympic dreams

By Rajiv Shah

In response to my blog on overflowing gutter lines at several spots in Ahmedabad's Vejalpur, a heavily populated area, a close acquaintance informed me that it's not just the middle-class housing societies that are affected by the nuisance. Preeti Das, who lives in a posh locality in what is fashionably called the SoBo area, tells me, "Things are worse in our society, Applewood."

A few days later, Preeti — the daughter of one of my close friends from college days, Biswaroop Das — sent me a sort of poetic response to the civic issues that her housing society faces. Incidentally, it is as much a part of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's prestigious Lok Sabha constituency as Vejalpur is. Overflowing gutters, she says, are just one of the many problems.

While sending me an Instagram link, Preeti — known for her "intelligent, politically correct, and feminist" comedy shows across Ahmedabad — humorously described the situation in SoBo (short for South Bopal, an upcoming urban conglomerate off what is supposed to be the main city) and the neighbouring areas.

Calling it an "on and off situation in Amdavad ka SoBo and neighbouring areas," she said her society experiences "Kabhi electricity cut, kabhi gas cut, kabhi net cut. One goes... one comes... and no idea when and what," wondering aloud, "Taxes we pay for what?"

Suggesting that her housing society is situated "at the cusp of AMC and AUDA" (standing for Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority — the two entities managing the city and its periphery), she added, "They keep confusing us."

According to her, "It has always been drainage versus our area," underlining, "Drainage has been winning all the time! They dig and they dig, and they dig. And they say it is to solve the drainage issue." Yet, "it has not been solved as yet."

Preeti adds, "They do not put up signages — why and who are digging — or keep the community informed. They blame each other when we ask why. Gas wala says theirs is getting cut because of digging. Net people say the same. Bijli brigade sings the same song. Roads are closed." They open and then "vanish." Reason: after the underbridge, now an overbridge is under construction.

She comments, ending with #drainageinapplewoods: "The one way is suddenly two ways. And then it is all the way. But it is our area, so what better way than using strange humour to vent." Taking a swipe at those who criticise Mumbai authorities for poor civic services, she notes that while she has "given up on asking for accountability," it’s "hats off" to Mumbaikars "for putting up with so much."

Meanwhile, the area where I live — Vejalpur — which experienced overflowing gutters just a few days ago at several spots, has suddenly gone under water, thanks to a little more than three and a half inches of rain which started around 2 am. In several blocks of my housing society, people rushed down in the wee hours to the parking space to drive their cars and two-wheelers out to a "safer" location, so they wouldn't be affected by the waterlogged society.

A grand old lady, in her mid-80s, who met me on the terrace of my apartment building, told me she was unable to figure out which side her son should enter from to take her ailing husband for urgent treatment. She found waterlogging on almost all sides as she tried to figure out the best route to the hospital.

While this time it was unseasonal rainfall that led to waterlogging, it’s a regular feature for our housing society to go under knee-deep water at least three times during the monsoon. Nearly the entire society remains waterlogged for 24 to 48 hours, until diesel pumps are deployed to pump out the water onto the main road — which is two feet higher than our society gate.

Even after the water is pumped out, it takes another three to four days for the lifts to start functioning, as water seeps into their pits. They, too, require diesel pumps to clear them.

As I experience all this — and more — I keep wondering: how are authorities dreaming of making Ahmedabad Olympics-ready? Let them first make it Commonwealth- and Asiad-ready... or still better, ready enough for an all-India sports event.

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