Rs 105 cr plan for dust-free Ahmedabad

National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), a voluntary organisation, will embark on a Rs 105 crore project from the next month to free Ahmedabad of dust problem.

The project, Endure, (ENsuring DUst REduction), will be implemented over two years with the support of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). The civic body will contribute 25 per cent of the costs. The remaining 75 per cent will be raised from various organisations and residents.

V K Saxena, president, NCCL, said the project will involve paving dusty road shoulders (footpaths beside roads that are unpaved).

Saxena said the 40 lakh square metre unpaved road shoulders in Ahmedabad will be paved in such a way that they will make the roads dust-free and the concrete blocks interlocked with each other will ensure that water percolates into the ground.

Saxena said, "The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has already cleared the project and the implementation will begin the next month. Of the total 310 square km urban area in Ahmedabad, about 40 lakh square metres of road shoulders need paving."

He said while the AMC will bear 25 per cent, or Rs 26 crore, of the project cost, the remaining Rs 79 crore will be raised through people's participation.

The cost of paving one square metre of road shoulder is Rs 261.

"There are 114 banks in Ahmedabad. If one bank sponsors 100 square metres, it has to pay Rs 2.61 lakh, which is not a very big amount for banks. Similarly, we are in talks with associations of lawyers and even schools for sponsoring the project," Saxena said.

He said a team of 40 people is engaged in door-to-door visits to help create awareness among people.

The NCCL president said the organisation has also prepared a 15-minute documentary, which will be shown at different places in a bid to popularise the project.

Dust is one of the major causes of silicosis, a disease caused by inhalation of dust.

Ahmedabad continues to be one of the worst-polluted cities of the country.

The road shoulders will be paved in such a manner that pre-cast cement blocks will interlock and these will rest on a sand bed to facilitate percolation of water.