Ahmedabad: “When an exam paper leaks, the education minister is forced to resign. If Ahmedabad ‘leaks’, who should be held responsible?” asked Congress councillor Shehzad Khan Pathan, during a heated debate on waterlogging at the AMC general board meeting on Tuesday. He demanded that responsibility be fixed for recurring waterlogging despite the civic body spending crores of rupees. The remark led to a heated exchange with Dharamshi Desai, the chairperson of the water and sewage committee, who maintained that waterlogging had reduced.
Rescue operation conducted by SDRF and Army after heavy rain in Ahmedabad
“Waterlogging did not occur across the city. Where waterlogging did happen, the water receded quickly,” Desai asserted.Presenting his points on the recent waterlogging, Pathan, a former leader of opposition in the AMC, said accountability must be fixed and action taken against those responsible for the city’s recurring monsoon problems. He blamed gaps in the city’s stormwater drainage network and cited recurring flooding near Madhumalti Apartments in Kathwada, Shrinandnagar in Vejalpur, and Mahila Talav in Bodakdev.Desai disputed the claims. “The problem has reduced because of the work done by councillors and officials over the years. AMC officials and councillors deserve praise,” Desai said.Pathan accused Desai of denying the problems faced by residents. “If the water and sewage committee chairperson’s statement is broadcast live on television, people will throw shoes at him, and at us. The chairperson is lying,” he said.This triggered a heated debate between Pathan and Desai.The debate then shifted to road cave-ins. Desai said only 15 cave-ins had been reported so far this monsoon and described the number as low.
A huge cave-in developed on the road near Sahajanand College in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Saturday after heavy rain
Pathan said the figure was worrying because the monsoon had only just begun. More than 100 cave-ins were reported last monsoon, he said, predicting that the city could again record a “century” of cave-ins before the season ended.Nirav Bakshi, a Congress councillor from the Dariapur ward, also questioned the quality of civic works. “Potholes have formed across the city. These are the result of poor quality work and corruption.“Despite spending crores of rupees, waterlogging persists. Corruption in projects worth crores prevents quality work and causes waterlogging,” Bakshi alleged.
