AHMEDABAD: Numerous ponds and lakes throughout the city have experienced a notable decrease in their land area due to past Town Planning (TP) schemes created by the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA), even though state government policy prohibits such reductions, according to sources.
Areas like Thaltej, Bopal, Memnagar, Vastrapur, and Charodi—previously under AUDA’s jurisdiction—have seen their water bodies diminish in size since being integrated into the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) limits.
Official sources indicate that AUDA’s TP scheme drafts—initially designed for village lands that were later incorporated into the city—resulted in a reduction of land allocated for several water bodies. In at least five instances, the final plot area designated for ponds was smaller than originally allocated, leading to ongoing disputes and halted development.
For example, in Bopal, AUDA’s TP Scheme No. 2 initially recorded the village lake’s area at 46,438 sq m, which was later decreased to 44,432 sq m. Similarly, in Vastrapur TP Scheme No. 1, a pond developed by AUDA nearly two decades ago was originally allotted 73,957 sq m, but the final designation was only 51,761 sq m.
In Thaltej, the matter is further complicated. AUDA’s TP Scheme No. 38 merged four original plots—three containing ponds and one with village land—into one final plot. The total original area was 154,692 sq m, but the final plot was restricted to 112,642 sq m, inciting disputes regarding the exact dimensions and boundaries of the Thaltej pond. The AMC has not assumed control of the land, and illegal encroachments hinder development efforts.
An AUDA official, speaking anonymously, stated that a standard 40% land deduction was applied during TP scheme drafts even to government lands—which included ponds, wastelands, and grazing areas. This often resulted in merged or reshaped plots, inadvertently reducing the operational area of ponds.
In contrast, an AMC official clarified that, following state government directives, no reduction or reshaping of pond land is allowed in TP schemes. “However, earlier TP drafts from AUDA did reduce and reshape pond areas. For finalized schemes where this has already happened, further modifications are not possible,” the official explained.
Authorities assert that new TP schemes now comply with the no-reduction policy; however, previous decisions still present legal and environmental challenges, with encroachments and disputes delaying the preservation and development of essential urban water bodies.
