Ahmedabad: After a 24-year delay, Town Planning (TP) Scheme No. 67 in Hansol, covering 118 hectares, has finally received preliminary approval to open the land for development. With this, over 50 hectares adjoining Taj hotel and Sabarmati Riverfront on Airport Road will be opened up, transforming the skyline on the eastern riverfront.For over two decades, the draft TP scheme for lands adjacent to Army Cantonment had remained with the state govt without preliminary clearance, due to which Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) could neither open roads nor take possession of reserved plots. Permissions for development by private developers were also withheld.An AMC official requesting anonymity said, “The civic body had drafted TP Scheme No. 67 covering 118 hectares adjoining Army Cantonment boundary along Airport Road. The draft was approved in 2002.”He added that under Town Planning Act, approval of a draft scheme authorises AMC to open roads. “But due to litigation, roads remained unopened and development permissions for private plots could not be granted, bringing all development under this TP scheme to a standstill,” the official said.AMC had set aside funds for a river bridge connecting Sabarmati and Hansol to link lands under this TP scheme. The road connecting to this bridge passed near Army Cantonment’s firing range, preventing its opening for security reasons. “Consequently, the bridge plan was cancelled,” the official said.The official added: “The TP Scheme’s eastern section adjoins Sabarmati Riverfront. Under Phase II, a riverfront road was planned from Shahibaug Dafnala past Taj hotel to Indira Bridge. It will now be opened. Another road with an underpass has been planned near the hotel. The approval for the scheme will allow opening designated roads for connectivity and pave the way for development permissions on private plots. This will transform the skyline along the eastern riverfront. There will be new construction projects around Taj.”Three years ago, AMC-run Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd (SRFDCL) initiated work on Phase II of the riverfront, acquiring 70,000 to 80,000 square metres of land from Army Cantonment. Cantonment provided this land on lease without charging any fee. In exchange, SRFDCL agreed to construct army quarters in Bhuj (for Rs 24.3 crore) and Dhrangadhra (for Rs 15.9 crore).An MoU was also signed proposing a tunnel to connect Airport Circle directly with the riverfront’s Phase II. Although the tunnel project did not receive approval, a road alignment for it was incorporated into Hansol TP Scheme No. 67. With the preliminary approval for the TP scheme, implementing this plan will now be feasible.
