Mumbai firm will give Ahmedabad slums a facelift

Some four months after the state government announced its Slum Rehabilitation Policy, slum dwellers in the city are likely to get better homes soon.

The policy was aimed at developing the slums of the city through public private partnership. Now, some 1,239 acre of slum land in Ahmedabad is all set to get a facelift, thanks to Mumbai-based Ackruti City Limited.

The company has kick-started the procedure to get consent of the slum dwellers (as per the guidelines of the policy) in slum pockets of the city. Sources in the AMC said the company is likely to submit report within a weeks' time. Confirming the move, senior vice-president (Gujarat business unit), Ackruti City, Deelip Choudhary said they have handpicked 792 slum pockets in the city under their commitment to provide better housing to slum dwellers.

"We are not looking at the single pocketing system but development of slum areas in four cities of Gujarat —Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat and Baroda," he said.

Choudhary said they have submitted reports of their survey to the state government. "According to one estimate, around 3,011 acre of land and around 3,23,923 hutments will be covered in the project in the state," said Choudhary. 

According to him an investment of Rs 8099 crore will be needed for the projects in four cities. However, it would be crucial for the company to get consent of 75% of the slum population to get a go ahead from the civic body.

According to information provided by the AMC officials about the company's proposal, around five plots in three slum pockets will be included if the project materialises.

Around 5,88,213 square metre of land will be covered in the five plots. If sources are to be believed, around 9,120 tenement units can be constructed with 240 amenity units in the five pockets.  "Each tenement unit will have a living room, bedroom, kitchen, wash room and balcony. Ahmedabad's most crime prone slum pockets like Amraiwadi, Ramapir No Tekro and Khohara are some of the pockets that the company is eyeing," sources said.

Interestingly, the realtor firm had also put forward a proposal for an interim arrangement to shift the people during construction of the residential units.