HC stay likely to delay Sabarmati project

The stay issued by the Gujarat High Court, on the eviction of about 30,000 families from the slums located in the river bed, might further delay the ambitious Sabarmati riverfront development project of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

The project aims at changing the face of the Sabarmati river that flows through the city.

Admitting a Public interest Litigation (PiL) filed by the Sabarmati Nagarik Adhikar Manch (SNAM) against the implementation of the project, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Bhawani Singh and Justice H K Rathod, stayed the eviction of about 30,000 families residing along the river banks.

The High Court has asked the state government and the Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation to first list out the rehabilitation plans before evicting slum dwellers.

AMC expects to complete the Rs 300-crore project by 2007.

The SNAM, through advocate Girish Patel, submitted that although the state government and the AMC have begun work on the project for the nine-kilometre stretch between Subhash Bridge and the Vasna Barrage, the slum dwellers have still not been informed about any concrete plans for their relocation.

However, the civic body has still not served any eviction notice to the slum dwellers.

According to a latest survey conducted by the AMC in 1997, the number of slum dwellers residing in the river bed stood at 15,000 families.

"The SNAM says the figure is 30,000 families. The crucial thing here is how many will be affected," the advocate said.

He added that the court directions will be served to the state government and the civic body on Monday, after which the matter will be listed on the board.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation had set up the Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation in May 1997,, providing it with a seed capital of Rs 1 crore.

In August 1997, SRFDCL appointed Environmental Planning Collaborative (EPC) a city-based urban planning and urban development management-consulting firm to prepare a comprehensive proposal for the development of the Sabarmati riverfront.

In addition to creating embankments and reclaiming land on either side, provisions have been made for construction of four ands ix lane roads, complete with infrastructure facilities like water, sewer, storm drainage and the like.

Besides, the reclaimed land is proposed to have gardens, housing accommodation, commercial complexes and other amenities.