The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee has decided to restrict the planting of large trees around new advertising hoardings after repeated cases of roadside trees being heavily trimmed to keep billboards visible. Only trees of limited height will be permitted near the new hoardings, according to a report by Gujarat Samachar – Ahmedabad.
The decision was taken at the committee’s meeting on October 9, where members discussed instances of indiscriminate trimming of trees located on roads and dividers. An advertising agency was recently fined for reducing trees to stumps, adding to concerns over the way outdoor advertising is being managed on public land.
Under the new decision, large trees will not be planted around locations where new hoardings are proposed. The report said that only certain low-height trees would be allowed beside the advertising structures. The restriction is intended to prevent agencies from cutting or excessively pruning trees when foliage obstructs the visibility of hoardings.
The decision has also raised questions about the availability of space for trees along some of Ahmedabad’s major roads. Hoardings are reported to appear at intervals of roughly 100 to 200 metres along important routes, including areas around Shahibaug, the airport and the Sabarmati Riverfront. The committee discussion questioned where trees could be planted if large trees were excluded from these locations.
The tree-related decision comes alongside action over cleanliness at the Sabarmati Riverfront. The agency responsible for cleaning work, Hetanraj, was fined Rs 1 lakh after debris and garbage were reported near Subhash Bridge and other parts of the riverfront. The municipal body’s action links the upkeep of public spaces with the performance of contracted service agencies.
The committee also discussed a proposed online payment facility for tree-trimming charges in homes and housing societies. Residents currently have to visit a civic centre to pay the reported charge of Rs 200. The proposed online facility is intended to allow such payments without a physical visit to a municipal office.
In a separate property-related decision, the AMC said two plots allotted in 2023 at Aganj and Motera for setting up sub-division offices had been taken back because payment of Rs 50 crore to the Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Limited had not been made. The Estate Department was instructed to prepare a list of other plots for which payments remain outstanding and begin proceedings to recover them.
The committee also reviewed the cleaning of municipal water tanks. Of the AMC’s 243 water tanks, only 96 had reportedly been cleaned during the previous six months. Officials were instructed to ensure that the remaining tanks are cleaned on schedule.
