Ahmedabad: It’s game on for infrastructural projects in the city as it prepares itself for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and, possibly to also host the 2036 Olympic Games. Among the sports facilities planned is the 650-acre Sardar Patel Sports Enclave around the Narendra Modi Stadium. But first, the civic body plans to widen the 18.3m wide road from Sabarmati toll plaza to the Narendra Modi Stadium to 61m. the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s standing committee recently greenlit the widening project for which over 10 govt and privately owned plots will be acquired.The proposal okayed by the standing committee states, “In TP Scheme No. 23 covering the Sabarmati area, there is an 18.28m wide road from Sabarmati Toll Naka to Narendra Modi Stadium. This road is currently in use. The development plan suggests widening this road to 61m. Additionally, a 24.4m wide road passes between ONGC’s final Plot Nos. 433 and 434, which is also suggested to be widened to 30m. Approval was granted to widen the 18.3m road to 61m over a 500m length from the toll naka to the stadium. This will involve acquiring 21.36 metres of land on both sides of the road, affecting two ONGC-owned plots and two privately owned plots on the north side, and four privately owned plots and four govt-owned plots on the south side.”An AMC official not wanting to be named said, “When Ahmedabad’s development plan was approved in Dec 2014, a suggestion was made to widen the road from the toll naka to the stadium’s gate. The proposal has now been approved. According to AMC’s policy, legal land or property owners affected will be offered three options as compensation: FSI, TDR, or compensation based on the jantri. Additionally, alternative arrangements will be provided for affected houses.“The state govt, AMC and the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority are in the final stages of land acquisition and clearance process. The govt plans to develop the sports enclave in two packages at a cost of Rs 5,050 crore, with the project expected to be complete by Dec 2028. Package 1 will include an aquatics centre at an estimated Rs 2,250 crore while Package 2 will include an indoor arena, a tennis centre, the National Institute of Sports Excellence, and athlete housing, and is estimated to cost Rs 2,800 crore.
