As a part of the development plan, the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) has submitted a list of ongoing and upcoming projects worth Rs 1,900 crore.

It mainly focuses on potable water supply, drainage system, and stormwater lines system for areas including Sanand, Manipur, Godhavi, Santhal, Ahmedabad, Aslali, Jetalpur, Telav and Bareja. It also proposed a plan to the state government for a complete piped water supply to 45 villages worth Rs 1,580 crore on the outskirts of the city.

Under the development plan, AUDA identified 45 villages for potable water supply in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar districts.

The biggest challenge for AUDA is access to potable water. According to AUDA officials, the residents of Bhopal and Ghuma were using high total dissolved solids (TDS) of up to 2,200 parts per million (ppm), compared to the acceptable range between 400-500 ppm.

An official said that the villagers could not afford to set up RO systems and sometimes used high TDS water, causing severe health problems. He said that the water supplied by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to these areas was time-bound, and residents were forced to store water for a long time.

He added that due to the unavailability of drinking water from Narmada, groundwater levels had reached 500-700 feet in these areas. In Sanand, a water treatment plant of 20 million litres per day, water pumping stations, underground and elevated water tanks and water supply distributors are being set up. Bhopal and Ghuma districts are also getting water supply systems.

He said that the department is laying an advanced stormwater drainage system with the rejuvenation of the lake and recharge of groundwater.

According to the sources, the state government has approved a seed fund of Rs 285 crore. These projects require Rs 126 crore for project consultancy and Rs 158 crore for any increase in price during project implementation.

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