The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has launched an online payment facility for tree trimming and green-waste collection in private societies and residential flats, while its standing committee has decided to begin the process of reclaiming two plots allotted to UGVCL after the utility failed to pay the prescribed charges or begin work.
The tree-trimming and green-waste collection policy has been introduced for the first time, according to a report by Divya Bhaskar – Ahmedabad. Residents can submit applications online and pay the applicable charges through the new facility. The online payment module has been activated to reduce the time required for applications and speed up municipal operations.
Standing committee chairman Kamlesh Patel said the online charge-collection module was being started immediately so that citizens would not face inconvenience. The facility is intended to allow residents to complete the payment process without having to visit municipal offices, although the report does not specify the charge structure or the timeline for service delivery after an application is submitted.
The policy covers the trimming or removal of trees and branches located within private societies and flats, as well as the collection of green waste generated during the work. The move places the payment and service-request process within a formal municipal framework, but the report does not provide details on the number of applications expected, the agency responsible for carrying out the work, or the safeguards that will apply before a tree is trimmed or removed.
The standing committee also issued instructions concerning tree planting near new advertising hoardings. The decision followed instances in which branches grew near hoardings and obstructed advertisements, after which advertising agencies reportedly trimmed trees themselves. The committee directed that trees planted near new hoardings should either be of a lower height or be located farther away so they do not interfere with visibility.
The decision links the location of new trees to the operation of outdoor advertising infrastructure. It also raises an administrative question about how conflicts between advertising visibility, municipal tree management and the protection of urban greenery will be handled. The report does not specify the permitted tree species, planting distances or enforcement mechanism for the new instructions.
In a separate decision, the committee moved to initiate action to take back two plots at Motera and Ognaj that had been allotted to the Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Limited, or UGVCL, on a 99-year lease. The plots were allotted through a standing committee resolution in 2023 for the construction of sub-division offices.
According to Patel, UGVCL has not paid the prescribed price for the land despite several notices from the AMC. The utility has also not undertaken any work on the plots. The committee therefore decided to begin the process of returning both plots to the municipal corporation.
The estate department has been asked to submit details at the next committee meeting of other plots that were allotted but for which payments were not deposited or the prescribed time limit had expired. The department was also instructed to complete cancellations of such allotments within the applicable rules and deadlines. The next committee meeting is expected to bring forward the wider list of potentially inactive or unpaid municipal land allotments.
