The Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) will relocate Mama Talavadi, a lake covering over four thousand square metres in Godhavi village, to make way for a forty-five-metre wide road connecting to the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC).

The realignment was deemed necessary after the proposed Shela–Sanand connector road was found incompatible with an existing DFC culvert. AUDA approved the lake relocation during a board meeting on nine April, resolving to allot a final plot of equivalent size elsewhere.

This marks a major revision to Town Planning Scheme 437, impacting both agricultural and urban zones. Some land will revert to agricultural use, while new parcels will be added for the road.

Originally, the road was designed to curve around the lake. However, officials argue a straight alignment is essential for smooth DFC integration.

The decision has raised concerns over ecological impact, especially in Shela, where past road projects altered lake shapes and obstructed rainwater flow, contributing to monsoon flooding. Critics note AUDA has not deepened local lakes in the past ten years, despite state-level directives.

The relocation of Mama Talavadi highlights the trade-offs between infrastructure expansion and environmental sustainability.

Source: Urban Acres