Latest news with #AhmedabadMunicipalCorporation
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Time of India
Three more held for Vastral mob violence; total arrests now 18
Ahmedabad: The city crime branch on Tuesday arrested three key accused wanted for creating terror near Vastral RTO in March. The accused — Pankaj Bhavsar (22), a resident of Vastral, Ashwin Nadia (19), a resident of Naroda, and Ashutosh Pille (24), a resident of Amraiwadi — on the run for over three months, were nabbed from Chandkheda and Motera Road areas. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On March 13, a group of around 20 men armed with sticks and swords created panic near Nirant Crossroads by threatening shopkeepers, blocking roads, abusing pedestrians, vandalising vehicles, and attacking passersby to instil fear. The mob's violent actions left three persons injured and three vehicles damaged. Following a complaint by local resident Alap Soni, Ramol police had registered a case for criminal intimidation, assault, unlawful assembly, rioting, and endangering public safety. Within days, 14 accused, including a minor, were arrested. In the aftermath of the violence, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation demolished six illegally constructed houses of the accused in the Amraiwadi and Khokhara areas as part of a crackdown. In May, one more accused — Rohit Mishra (20), a resident of Vishnubhai ni Chali in Ramol — was caught after evading police for nearly a month, and handed over to Ramol police. The latest arrests raise the total number of arrested accused to 18. All three are repeat offenders with multiple cases involving rioting, assault, and illegal possession of weapons against them. Bhavsar alone has over 10 criminal cases across Ramol, Amraiwadi, and Isanpur police stations. He was also detained under preventive detention laws and lodged in Rajkot and Bhuj jails under the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Licenses of two engineers suspended over stability certificates for billboards
Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has initiated a probe against two structural engineers suspected of irregularities in issuing structural stability certificates for billboards across the city and has suspended their licenses. The decision was announced during a meeting of AMC's town planning committee held on Tuesday. Committee chairman Pritesh Mehta said, "Two structural engineers are under suspicion for irregularities. One of them issued certificates for 1,200 billboards and the other for 350. An investigation has been ordered, and their licenses have been suspended." You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad The committee also discussed the issue of collecting license fees for billboards on private properties. A total of 156 advertising agencies have approached the court, which has directed the AMC not to take any action for now. Of the remaining 364 billboards, 25 agencies have cleared their dues, 71 billboards have been removed, and action is ongoing against the rest. The AMC is yet to recover Rs 112 crore in license fees and penalties from outdoor advertising agencies. A survey will be carried out to identify further irregularities and present findings to the court if required.
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
163 sites get notice over mosquito breeding, 3 sealed
Ahmedabad: In a city-wide drive against mosquito breeding, the health department of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) inspected 280 construction sites and commercial premises on Tuesday. Notices were served to 163 construction sites where mosquito breeding was detected, and three sites were sealed. AMC imposed fines totalling Rs 5.5 lakh on 56 construction and private sites for negligence. The sealed premises include the Vattva Manthan Legacy site, Maruti Infra Construction site in Saraspur, and the Gokuldham Complex in Nikol. Among others penalised, Arshad Park Hariom construction site in Maktampura was fined Rs 50,000. Several other projects, including the urban poor housing scheme in Sabarmati, New Prakna site in Vasna, Victoria Elegance in Sardarnagar, Satkar Green in Naroda, and Shelby Hospital in Nikol were fined Rs 20,000 each. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
In 2 years, city's 14,907 units in 1,151 buildings declared dangerous
Ahmedabad: As the monsoon intensifies, so does the city's growing risk of structural collapses. In yet another incident, the roof of a house in Payal Flats in the Bodakdev area collapsed on Monday, raising fresh concerns about the safety of residents living in ageing and dilapidated buildings. Just last week, on July 21, a portion of the wash area and balconies from the ground floor up to the fourth floor collapsed in Block A of Suryasagar Apartments in Jodhpur area. No casualties were reported in either case, but residents continue to live under the shadow of risk. These incidents are part of a troubling annual pattern. Each year before the monsoon, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) surveys and identifies buildings deemed unsafe. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad In 2024, the AMC declared 9,736 units in 786 buildings as dangerous. In 2025, the number stood at 5,643 units in 390 buildings. Over the last two years, a staggering 14,907 units in 1,151 buildings across the city have been declared structurally unsafe. Among the city's zones, the Northwest Zone reported the highest number of dangerous units — 4,242 in 374 buildings. The Eastern Zone followed with 4,799 units in 327 buildings, while the Central Zone accounted for 939 units in 317 buildings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo An AMC official, requesting anonymity, stated, "We identify old and structurally compromised buildings and issue notices to residents. In many cases, residents are asked to vacate, but they refuse until redevelopment is approved. In severely dangerous cases, buildings are sealed and forcibly vacated. We have also carried out demolitions before this monsoon." Sources within AMC also highlighted legal and logistical hurdles. "In the old city, frequent collapses have claimed lives. Though strict measures are taken, tenant-owner disputes often delay evacuation. This year, before the Rath Yatra, demolitions were carried out in several areas. In western Ahmedabad, old societies are also deteriorating, and redevelopment efforts are underway. Some Gujarat Housing Board colonies are also in poor condition, with redevelopment approved for a few and under process for others. " Despite multiple tragedies in the past, enforcement of safety regulations remains weak. Following several fatal collapses, the state govt mandated structural stability certificates for all buildings over 15 years old. However, compliance has largely been symbolic, with notices issued but little actual enforcement. Ahmedabad has witnessed several deadly building collapses in recent decades. On Feb 3, 2008, the Shakunt Hotel near Kalupur railway station collapsed, killing 16 people and injuring nine. On Jan 28, 2011, a building in Sodagar's Pol, Kalupur, collapsed, resulting in five deaths. In 2018, a housing block in Odhav collapsed, killing one person. In 2019, a house in Amraiwadi's Bungalow Chali caved in, claiming three lives. Head: Cracks in the system Zone Dangerous Buildings* Units North 58 1,530 East 327 4,799 South 38 2,603 Central 317 939 West 14 289 Northwest 374 4,242 Southwest 23 505 Total 1,151 14,907 * Dangerous buildings and units in Ahmedabad over the last 2 years (as of May 23) Pointers: GDCR Provision for Structural Stability 1. On Dec 30, 2014, the state govt approved Ahmedabad's GDCR, introducing a strict provision for structural stability certificates for all buildings over 15 years old. Inspections were mandated, but enforcement by AUDA and the municipal corporation have been lacking 2. Structural stability inspections and certificate submissions to AUDA or the municipal corporation are not conducted within the stipulated time, leaving the rule unimplemented 3. On July 6, 2024, a six-storied building collapsed in Sachin Pali village, Surat, claiming seven lives. The municipal corporation issued a public notice to enforce the structural stability certificate rule, but was not enforced 4. The 2014 GDCR and 2017 CGDCR include provisions for structural stability certificates. According to Schedule 17 of CGDCR Class 1 buildings include all types of framed structures, factory buildings, special buildings, educational buildings, schools, colleges, hostels, and other public buildings. Class 2 building includes masonry-walled residential buildings over 10m high 5. According to CGDCR, all Class 1 buildings must submit a structural stability certificate within 3 years after completing 15 years, while Class 2 buildings must do so within 5 years 6. On Aug 17, 2024, the city municipal commissioner directed all buildings over 15 years old to undergo inspection by a structural engineer and submit structural stability certificate
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Opposition slams AMC over waterlogging
Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) recently completed work on the eastern trunk line, a major drainage infrastructure project, at a cost of Rs 93.40 crore. The civic body announced on July 22 that the project, in the eastern part of the city, would significantly reduce issues of drainage overflow and waterlogging. However, just a week after the project's completion, opposition leader Shehzad Khan Pathan raised concerns about its effectiveness. Addressing the media on Monday, Pathan said, "Despite the AMC's claim of completing the eastern trunk line, several areas in the eastern part of the city experienced severe waterlogging after just two days of rainfall." He further criticized the ruling BJP, which has governed the AMC for over two decades, for its alleged failure to resolve persistent monsoon-related problems. "The AMC had promised AI-enabled solutions to tackle water accumulation, but the ground reality remains unchanged," Pathan alleged. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad He also pointed out that only 59 km of stormwater drainage lines have been laid in the past 10 years, which, according to him, was inadequate for a rapidly growing urban area like Ahmedabad. In response, AMC standing committee chairman Devang Dani dismissed the allegations.
