Water trunk line to be moved from sports enclave land in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: As the city prepares itself as a possible host for the 2036 Olympics, it is witnessing several infrastructural projects and rejigs. At Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's (AMC) water and sewerage committee's meeting, a project to move the main water trunk line passing through the land designated for the Sardar Patel Sports Enclave in Motera, was approved. This Rs 30.68 crore project, officials said, is part of the city's preparations as a likely Olympics host.Sources state: "Efforts are underway for Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar to host the 2036 Olympics. Earlier, a plan had been developed to establish the Sardar Patel Sports Enclave on approximately 650 acres surrounding the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera. A master plan for the land around the stadium is currently being drafted. The lands of Bhartiya Seva Samaj, Sadashiv Pragya Mandal, and Sant Shree Asaram Ashram located near the stadium were also included in this master plan, and the process to acquire these lands is ongoing."The proposal presented to the water and sewerage committee states, "In 1986, a 1,600mm diameter pipeline was laid from the army cantonment, crossing the Sabarmati River and passing through the western side of the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium. This line carries purified water from the Kotarpur Waterworks to distribution stations in the Central and West zones. At the time it was installed, the town planning (TP) scheme was not in effect, so the line was laid through private land."The document adds, "Under the newly drafted TP Scheme No. 67, this existing line now passes through non-TP roads and directly through the centre of the proposed sports enclave land. To ensure future maintenance accessibility and facilitate the development of the enclave, the line must be shifted outside its boundaries. Currently, the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited is building a barrage-cum-bridge on the Sabarmati. The plan is to coordinate with SRFDCL to lay the new pipeline downstream of the barrage. This will allow the pipeline that goes across the river to be installed alongside the bridge construction, saving costs and eliminating the need to build a separate earthen embankment in the river for machinery movement."