Ahmedabad Projects thread

[Hindustani]

Nice. thats a good looking flyover. they should have added the streetlights on both sides if not in the middle to avoid accidents. amazing how some basic safety measures are just left out despite spending all this money.

Originally Posted by GJ10

[GJ10]

Bhaisaab, thats quite obviously an U/C pic posted along with the article to give a general perspective.

You can tell it was still U/C by the fact that even the side-barrier is incomplete.

Most people would be able to appreciate that this is just a case of a website not having a completely upto-date picture.

I guess others will only ever see what they want to see.

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by GJ10

Is riverfront project inclusive?

I think this seminar and workshop will be a waste of money like many others of this type.

In India, some of the elite class (left and right) weeps for the poor, attends expensive seminars to "help the poor or express solidarity with the poor". Then they have a grand buffet luncheon/dinner and then move on to the next seminar. Nothing constructive. They also have an award circle where they award each other and pat each other on the back and declare themselves as experts.

This section of people have been planning for the upliftment of the poor for ages now. Nothing seems to have worked except status quo. So Dharavi has become many Dharavis as the leaders of the poor and the weepers for the poor keep drawing out new plans with new names. In the end it just a vote for status quo.

[GJ10]

Originally Posted by Suncity

I think this seminar and workshop will be a waste of money like many others of this type.

In India, some of the elite class (left and right) weeps for the poor, attends expensive seminars to "help the poor or express solidarity with the poor". Then they have a grand buffet luncheon/dinner and then move on to the next seminar. Nothing constructive. They also have an award circle where they award each other and pat each other on the back and declare themselves as experts.

This section of people have been planning for the upliftment of the poor for ages now. Nothing seems to have worked except status quo. So Dharavi has become many Dharavis as the leaders of the poor and the weepers for the poor keep drawing out new plans with new names. In the end it just a vote for status quo.

Im sure what you're saying is true

But my main problem with such "events" is that they only happen in opposition to projects/companies/leaders who are actually doing something

India would probably be a much better place if they hounded the people who do nothing rather than the ones who actually have a plan and a vision for the future.

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by GJ10

But my main problem with such "events" is that they only happen in opposition to projects/companies/leaders who are actually doing something

Well the people who oppose have to oppose something that is happening. What will they gain by opposing something that is not happening?



I think the opposition to "development" projects is an India wide phenomenon. It is the bread and butter of all opposition parties and upcoming leaders. Plus there are "social" organizations who make a living out of opposing anything that goes beyond their ideological view point - whether it is opposing dam construction or opposing township construction or opposing industrialization and so on.

[Rasnaboy]

Ahmedabad, Nov. 25 The Munich-based Oncology Services Europe (OSE), a full service Contract Research Organisation (CRO), specialising in clinical drug development in oncology, on Tuesday announced the launch of its India operations with the establishment of independent clinical services company, Oncology Services India (OSI) in Ahmedabad, to offer a complete clinical service range from Phase I to Phase IV trials.

With this, the basis of a new international oncology specialist within the global CRO business has been established. The new entity in India combines the best of clinical research capabilities of Europe and India, according to a company statement here.

Announcing the initiative, the OSI’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Vimal Sanghavi, said OSI would replicate the success of its European experience of multi-centric global trials in the Indian sub-continent.

Clinical trials

Clinical trials have grown increasingly global, larger and more complex. Government regulations are progressively more stringent, requiring more studies with larger patient populations, especially in oncology.

OSE would tap the high growth potential of clinical services sector in oncology segment of India. The company is looking at the lion’s share of the country’s $300-million clinical trials market, which is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 15 per cent over the next four years. By 2011, this would bring nearly 15 per cent of the total global clinical trials to India and generate annual revenue of $1 billion, according to market studies and research statistics, Dr Sanghavi said.

The CEO of OSE, Dr Wolfgang Beier, said pharmaceutical and biotech companies are looking to outsource their clinical trial management to partners who know how to work within the changing regional and global clinical trial regulations.

OSE is a specialised CRO in oncology clinical trials, providing technical expertise in terms of professional project management, and inter-disciplinary consulting competence regarding the clinical development of anti-cancer drugs.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...2652142100.htm

[Rasnaboy]

Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, inaugurated its first showroom in Gujarat here on Friday, displaying super sports car, Audi R8'. Audi Ahmedabad will also be the third showroom in the western region, said Mr Benoit Tiers, Managing Director, Audi India, in a release. The Audi R8 has won several awards in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, along with the double victory at the 2008 World Car of the Year awards, winning both the `World Performance Car" and `World Design Car of the Year' awards. It was launched in India last month. The Audi R8 is available along with the entire Audi model range in India consisting of the new Audi A4, Audi A6, Audi A8, Audi Q7 and Audi TT at 12 dealerships across the country.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...0850341501.htm

[Rasnaboy]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ahmedabad has proposed around 82 BRTS stations across the city, as against the current AMTS buses plying between 115 stations.
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After a delay of about eight months, the first phase of the much-talked-about Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), which was to commence operation in October 2008, is now likely to start in June 2009 as work is progressing at a faster pace in the financial capital of Gujarat.

The fears expressed in various quarters were mainly due to the escalated costs unlike the traffic mess the experimental project created in the national capital, New Delhi, in recent times.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) had earlier cancelled the tenders it had invited for its ambitious BRTS project, saying contractors were demanding high rates to run buses. The Municipal Commissioner, Mr I. P. Gautam, had said that the contractors had quoted between Rs 65 and Rs 72 per km to run public transport buses in the proposed system, but the rates were unacceptable and needed revision. So, tenders were invited afresh.

The high rates, if accepted, could have made the BRTS project economically non-viable as that would lead to higher fares, forcing people to opt for the existing Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) buses which would be considerably cheaper, officials said.

Predictably, the AMC was anxious to ensure that there was no significant difference in the fares of AMTS and BRTS services. Only 9 per cent of the city’s population uses the AMTS bus service at present, causing vehicle pressure on roads.

Until now, BRTS has been implemented in 34 cities across countries such as the US, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, China, Japan and Thailand, with varying degrees of success.

To begin with, the Centre had approved BRTS in Ahmedabad, Pune, Nagpur and Indore, in 2005 and added Bhopal and Jaipur thereafter. The main feature of a BRTS is to have dedicated bus lanes operating separately from all other traffic modes. These buses will be specially-designed, high-speed, low-floor vehicles.

Grant from Centre

The new service is also expected to create passageway for passengers, bus stops and bus interchanges, just like a metro. This would allow the new buses to operate at a high level of reliability, given that only professional motorists would be allowed on this designated busway.

Ahmedabad has proposed around 82 BRTS stations across the city, as against the current AMTS buses plying between 115 stations.

For this purpose, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) was formed to implement the first, 50-km-long, phase of the project, involving an investment of Rs 500 crore.

The civic body (AMC) would get a grant from the Centre, equivalent of 35 per cent of the project cost from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), 15 per cent from the State Government and the rest through internal accruals or debts.

AMC had made a budgetary provision of Rs 100 crore in 2007. The project comprises creating a 155-km long two-way corridor for 70-seat buses to ply after widening the existing circular and some arterial roads crisscrossing the city, removing encroachments from some areas along the way.

Easing congestion

While the pros and cons of BRTS are being debated in Ahmedabad, Mr Gautam is optimistic that the project would modernise this city in more ways than one, mainly by introducing the new-age commuting. It would ease traffic congestion, particularly in rush hours, and streamline problems such as parking of vehicles, easy movement of pedestrians and movement of cyclists. Critics, however, say the total cost of the entire project could go as high as Rs 2,000 crore, excluding the cost of buses.

As per BRTS estimates, 75,000 passengers are likely to use this bus service daily. If they are charged Rs 10 per trip, it would take some 30 years to recover only the principal and interest, excluding the costs of fuel, salaries and maintenance. Sky bus would have been a better proposition, they say.

Second, BRTS has been planned only for the AMC’s municipal limits, while Greater Ahmedabad has already moved beyond the new main artery of Sardar Patel Ring Road.

Third, while BRTS in other countries serves mainly towns with less than one million population, Ahmedabad already has a five-million-strong population.

Commuters would have to cross heavy traffic every time to catch a BRTS bus. But given the pace of developmental works and the enthusiasm of the common man about the dream project, the BRTS may, after all, become yet another feather in Ahmedabad’s cap.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...0550220600.htm

[GJ10]

Sky is the Limit on the Riverfront

Ahmedabad : Finally, it's time to witness the changing skyline of the city. On the eve of the Vibrant Gujarat global summit, the
Sabaramati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (SRFDCL) has revealed the building footprint for the 10.5 kilometre stretch of the riverfrront for both the east and west banks for the first time. Going by convention, one can imagine buildings as high as 100 to 150 metre on the riverbanks.

A total of nearly 50 individual building footprints, with sizes varying between 5,000 square metres and 8,000 square metres on either side of the river, have been readied and would be put on display during the summit. A special information kiosk has been set up on the riverfront near Gujarat Sahitya Parishad to display the footprint and take suggestions from investors to improvise on the existing footprint design.

However, only 15 per cent of the total 172 hectares, reclaimed for the riverfront on both banks would be reserved for commercial development. SRFDCL would sign an MoU with the state urban development department of Rs 10,000 crore.

"We have reserved 85 per cent of the total reclaimed 172 hectares for public use, the 15 per cent reserved for commercial purposes would only help us recover the estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore that we would have invested in the riverfront by December 2010. From September this year, we plan to lay roads on either side. The effective width of the banks on either side achieved is close to 100 metres," says Ahmedabad municipal commissioner and SRFDCL chairman IP Gautam.

To achieve 85 per cent for public use, SRFDCL made several improvements in the earlier plans for riverfront. For instance, a large portion of land reserved for residential plots behind Torrent power plant was scrapped and the land was reserved for a green zone. Several such patches have been identified on the two banks.

A senior SRFDCL official adds, "Our riverfront building footprint has many parallels elsewhere in the world. For instance, Vadaj portion of the riverfront can be compared with that of the Dubai waterfront, the Sardar Bridge portion can be compared with Louvre museum riverfront portion in Paris, while Gandhi bridge portion can be compared to that of Chicago riverfront, and Nehru Bridge portion can be compared to that of Hong Kong."

[GJ10]

State back to DMRC for Rs 10,000 Crore Metro Project

Ahmedabad: IF THE government claims are to be believed, the proposed Gandhinagar-Ahmedabad-Dholera metro rail project will soon be a reality.

The Gujarat government has once again approached the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for a modified detailed project report (DRP), as it wishes to extend the network to new residential areas being developed.

The Rs 10,000-crore project will connect railway stations (Kalupur, Sabarmati, Gandhigram), bus stands (Paldi, Vadaj, Income Tax), International Airport and other destinations like Sachivalaya, Akshardham and Sabarmati Ashram.

It may be mentioned here that the DMRC had prepared and submitted a DRP dealing with all the aspects of the project, including the corridor selection and the impact on the environment, four years ago. The government had accepted the same in October 2004.

According to the Gujarat Urban Development Company (GUDC), the nodal agency for the project, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for this will be set up this year, and the project will be implemented within three years from its commencement. GUDC officials said that various modes, including

public-private partnership, are being studied.

The DMRC is at present studying the impact on the cost and profitability estimates due to the various additions and modifications. It is expected to submit the revalidated report soon, officials said. The project will be developed in two phases. Initially, there will be trains at every five minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes otherwise.

The metro service is expected to carry 40,000 passengers per hour per direction traffic . According to the government estimates, about 6.75 lakh commuters are expected to use the metro rail daily soon after its commissioning. The figure may shoot up to 17 lakh by 2031. The project will have the state-of-the-art facilities, like air-conditioned coaches, ballastless tracks, automated fare collection, parking facilities, destination indicators, GPS-based rail tracking system, and traction system among others.

Route map

Phase I

North–South Corridor: Vasna to Akshardham, a 32.65-km stretch with 31 stations

East–West Corridor: Kalupur Junction to Thaltej, a 10.90-km stretch with 11 stations

GIFT and Airport Link: N-S link to Gujarat International Finance Tech (8.3km) and international airport (eight km)

Phase II

* Sarkhej to Indroda Circle (32.4 km)
* Vasna to Sarkhej (5.5 km)
* Sarkhej to Dholera (120 km)

[GJ10]

Now you can walk on this Wall Street

AHMEDABAD: As the city's history collapses in bits into oblivion with crumbling walls, the Sabarmati riverfront project has incorporated plans to
save the old city's fort wall so that people can actually walk over it, just like 600 years ago.

The project involves making a walkway on the 500 metre length of the last remaining city wall stretches behind Khanjaan Darwaza and Indulal Yagnik park on the riverside. With some street fares to pepper the trip upon the wall, the walk will be an opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of Ahmedabad's heritage.

The ambitious plan will be taken up as part of a joint exercise between Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation Ltd (SRFDCL) and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). A

detailed project report is being prepared with relative cost estimates.

"For strengthening the fort wall, we have the retaining wall of SRFDCL that would come up alongside. Some base structures of the wall too will be strengthened. We are consulting heritage experts. We will have a three to four metre wide walkway on top of the wall. A major part of the project will be part of SRFDCL," says AMC commissioner IP Gautam.

SRFDCL authorities say the project is integrated into the pedestrianisation plans of Bhadra fort and Teen Darwaza. The stretch will boast of a 'pedestrian only' zone, on the lines of Marienplatz of Europe. Earlier, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by AMC with the Euro-India centre forum for urban heritage conservation, for this project.

The 500-metre city wall falls just behind Bhadra fort and Pankor Naka and promises an enriching experience. The stretch will have a web of streets meant only for pedestrians.

The main roads in the plan, which will be declared pedestrian zones, include Relief Road, Sardarbaug approach, Teen Darwaza pass and Bhadra Court approach.

[vibs89]

image hosted on flickr


Latest works that are going on

-Work up to walk way level has been completed from Railway bridge to Vasna
-Retaining wall work has been 40% completed
-For clean river water, suez diversion work is on. Pipeline work is nearly completed from Dafnala to Sardar bridge. Intermediate pumping station, Terminate pumping station and rising pipe line works are on. Work in Sardar bridge to Vasna barrage stretch has been started recently. A duct is being created in this stretch to facilitate sue to reach up to the suez treatment plant near Vasna barrage.
-For work on level upper than walk way special 7 to 20 metre wide earth fill work is being done on both the sids of the river bank from railway bridge to Vasna barrage. General earth filling work is on from Railway bridge to Sardar bridge on the western side of the river. General earth filling work is nearly completed from Gandhi bridge to Nehru bridge.

Source: http://deshgujarat.com/2009/01/11/am...mation-centre/

[GJ10]

Bakeri Announces Rs 1000 Crore Mega Township

Affordable housing is all set to get major boost with Ahmedabad-based realty player Bakeri Engineers & Infrastructure
Limited unveiling plans for a Rs-1,000 crore, 65-acre township at Makarba in Vejalpur.

The township is planned to have nearly 7,000 homes spread across 7 million sq ft ranging, from one-bedroom flats for Rs 8 lakh to bungalows for Rs 50 lakh.

Of this, 1,300 one and two-bedroom homes in the Rs 8-lakh to Rs 16-lakh range are slated to come up in the first phase, Bakeri group director Pavan Bakeri told newspersons here on Wednesday.

The 8-million sq ft township will also include 1 million sq ft of commercial development and community spaces like a temple, day-care centre, park and pre-primary school.

The township is part of the over Rs 3,775 crore worth of MoUs inked by Bakeri group with Gujarat government at the recent Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit 2009.

Talking about USPs of the project, Bakeri said the company was offering a three-year maintenance and a unique Capital protection guarantee till occupation' and a three-year maintenance.

This means that if the company reduces property prices at the township after a buyer has booked a home there, it would refund the excess amount to the buyer.

"This new township project has been aimed at the discerning buyer who not only values aesthetics, functionality and quality, but also wants to live in a proximate location, and yet doesn't want to pay premium," Bakeri said.

"The first 350 apartments which includes 830 sq ft, 2 BHK apartments and the 1 BHK, 630 sq ft apartments, are slated for completion between May 2009 and December 2009," Bakeri added.

Set up in 1959, Bakeri group has developed nearly 25 million sq ft of realty in past 50 years.

[Rasnaboy]

Pacifica Companies, the San Diego-based real estate and asset management group, has marked its foray into the Indian hospitality sector. The company is focused on building its hospitality portfolio in the country. Presently, it is developing hotels in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Baroda. It is developing two properties in Bengaluru. The properties in Ahmedabad and one in Bengaluru will be developed under the Courtyard by Marriott brand. The group is yet to sign an operator for the other three properties.

Speaking exclusively to Hospitality Biz about the development, Sumit Bhasin, V P Land Acquisitions & Asset Management - Hospitality Division, Pacifica Companies states, “We are strongly looking to establish our presence in the Indian market. Internationally, we work with brands like Marriott, Hilton and Radisson and aim to synergise our alliances for the Indian market as well.” The 164 room property in Ahmedabad is expected to start operations by March 2009; it is as per an MoU signed by the company with the Gujarat government during Vibrant Gujarat 2007. The Courtyard by Marriott in Bengaluru is slated to be ready by early 2011. Currently, the company is in the process of tying up with international developers for its other properties. It is also scouting for locations to add more properties to its portfolio.

The company recently signed an MoU with the Gujarat government worth Rs 180 Crore to develop hotels in Ahmedabad and Vadodara. The first of the two properties, at an investment of Rs 100 Crore, is a 150 room hotel with a total development of approximately 250000 sq ft; it is located on the S G Highway opposite the Gujarat High Court. The other, which will see a Rs 80 Crore investment, is a 100 room star category hotel with retail and commercial space, spread across approximately two acres on Genda Circle, Baroda.

The company perceives huge potential in the hospitality sector’s mid market and budget segment and aims to develop properties under this category. “India’s budget segment needs a price correction. The Rs 2000 to Rs 4000 per room night segment is a huge market in India, with a large domestic market to cater to as well as international travellers,” he adds. Besides hospitality, the company will also develop residential and commercial projects in India. It has earmarked an investment of USD 600 million across the three verticals.

Source: http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com/d...aid=3307&sid=1

[GJ10]

Hirco Group Launches Hiranandani Palace Gardens, Ahmedabad

Hirco Group, India’s largest residential builder and developer of prestigious mixed-use townships, is pleased to announce the launch of Hiranandani Palace Gardens, Ahmedabad.

The Ahmedabad project consists of mixed-use commercial and residential space. 3 million sq. ft. will be developed in the first phase. This project is similar to its projects in Chennai and Panvel which are co-invested with Hirco Plc (AIM: HRCO). The project has received approval as an IT special economic zone (IT SEZ). Hirco Developments, a Group company, will be responsible for project delivery and marketing.

Hiranandani Palace Gardens, Ahmedabad will be strategically located with easy connections to Changodar and Belwa, the two main industrial belts of Ahmedabad. The township will be in the Ahmedabad development zone which also houses the Nano factory of Tata Motors. The site is 17 kilometers from the City centre and CBD at Ashram Road. The township will comprise of mixed use residential and commercial properties together with the social infrastructure such as entertainment, shopping, clubhouse etc.

“We are very pleased to announce the launch of our next development in Ahmedabad. The project is very much in line with our strategy of building integrated townships for India’s rising and increasingly affluent middle class in well-connected suburbs of major cities. The township will be modeled on the same successful formula as our townships in Powai and elsewhere, providing high quality real estate with world class infrastructure,” commented Mr. Niranjan Hiranandani, Chairman, Hirco Group.

Mr. Hiranandani further added “We continue to execute our strategy, it is a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to buy real estate in India. The current global credit crisis has significantly impacted the Indian real estate sector not only in land prices but also other raw materials. We also see a lot less competition in the market from small developers the flight to quality established brands like ours. Through the latter part of 2009 and early 2010 we will see the market steadily bottom out. We are also seeing demand from investors who are reallocating their asset portfolios and look at current values as a asset protection tool to preserve capital and fight inflation .We continue to cautiously take advantage of these once in a generation opportunities.”

Ahmedabad is the major city in the state of Gujarat – a leading industrial state in India, noted for its rapid growth and business-friendly environment. Gujarat accounts for 14% of India’s exports and 16% of investments, and the state GDP has been growing at the rate of 9%. On many indicators such as power consumption, cellular connections, car ownership Gujarat outperforms the national average by 2 to 1.

With a population of approximately 4.5 million people, Ahmedabad is the 7th largest metropolis in India. Ahmedabad has many educational institutions, the most famous of which is Indian Institute of Management, a world-class business school. The information technology industry has also developed significantly in Ahmedabad. A NASSCOM survey on the "Super Nine Indian Destinations" for IT-enabled services ranked Ahmedabad fifth among the top nine most competitive cities in the country.

Many large Indian companies, such as the Nirma Group, are headquartered in Ahmedabad. In recent years a number of foreign companies have set up facilities in Ahmedabad. Amongst them are Bosch Rexroth of Germany; Stork, Netherlands; Rollepaal, Netherlands and Johnson Pumps of Sweden. Ahmedabad is also the largest supplier of denim cloth in the country and one of the largest exporters of gems and jewelry in India.

[GJ10]

Cross Posted in Indian Stadia Thread

Team of Coventry Businemenn lead £30Million building of India's answer to Wembley

A TEAM of Coventry businessmen are leading the building of India’s answer to Wembley stadium.

The £30million project is being spearheaded by Paul Fletcher, who oversaw the Ricoh Arena project.

Mr Fletcher, the former chief *executive of the Ricoh and later the Sky Blues, joined forces with *Coventry’s Cassidy Group to form *StadiArena two years ago. Their *vision was to transform the way football stadiums work.

The company, which is based in Meriden, near Coventry, is ready to start work on the state-of-the-art stadium in the city of Ahmedabad, in the Gujarat region of India.

As well as hosting football matches the stadium will also boast corporate function rooms, space for major events as well as restaurants and hotel accommodation.

The seating area at one end of the stadium will also be collapsible to provide further space for indoor sporting events, performances and fashion shows.

Mr Fletcher, who was awarded the MBE for services to football in 2006, said he was very excited about the project.

“This will be the first one in the world for StadiArena. I had anticipated the first would be in the UK but with the credit crunch there is no money to fund it. But India has the fastest growing economy in the world,” he said.

“These stadiums are about more than football and we are convinced they will work. The whole community can use them rather than just football fans on a Saturday. It’s a no brainer. Using £30-40million on a stadium which is used so rarely is ludicrous, we’ve had to think of new ideas.”

Mr Fletcher believes the Indian stadium, which is due to be completed by next year, is far more advanced than any of the stadiums he has already worked on, which include The McAlpine Stadium, in Huddersfield, The Reebok, in *Bolton, and Wembley.

“The Ricoh, with its casino and hotel rooms is probably fifth or sixth generation. The StadiArena is probably eighth or ninth. It’s only right that each new idea is a little bit better than the last.

“The Ricoh, with all its fantastic innovations still had something missing in that you can’t use the seats for anything when there’s no football match.”

Patric Cassidy, fellow managing partner of *StadiArena, said: “Paul very much had a UK vision but ours was global. India is looking to expand football. The country has a population of 1.2billion and there are 60million in Gujarat itself so there is a huge market. It’s already been touted as the new Wembley of India.”

THE 33,000-seater stadium in Gujarat will, at the push of a button, be able to convert into an indoor arena within six minutes which will be able to host audiences of between 2,000 to 20,000.

The stadium will be used for a range of sporting events as well as football, including rugby, cricket and hockey.

It will also host a training academy.

It is expected the costs of the stadium will be recouped within three to five years.

For Anyone Interested:


McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield
Reebok Stadium, Bolton
Ricoh Arena, Coventry
Wembley Stadium, London

On a side note, seeing as Wembley-Harrow is the Gujarat of London, it makes sense for Gujarat to have the Wembley of India

[GJ10]

Ahmedabad to be 2nd Biggest Metro

Call it the big bang effect. Soon, aapnu Amdavad will be second only to Delhi and way bigger than Hyderabad, Mumbai and
Bangalore.

For, size matters and metropolitan Ahmedabad is set to touch the magical 10,000 sq km mark. On the anvil is an Ahmedabad Metropolitan Region (AMR) plan that will stretch the city’s limits up to as far as Viramgam, Mehsana, Prantij, Petlad, Umreth, Tarapur and Nalsarovar. A big leap, given that just two years ago Ahmedabad was just a 198 sq km city when it gobbled up another 300 sq km to emerge as a mega city spread over 498 sq km and housing 55 lakh people. In the 19th century, Ahmedabad was just a 10 sq km walled city. But today, AMR is set to emerge as a mammoth metro encompassing parts of five districts — Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Kheda, Anand and Mehsana — conceptualised on the lines of the National Capital Region that’s carved out of three states — Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

And just like NCR Development Authority lords over 30,000 sq km area as a policy making and planning body, Ahmedabad Metropolitan Region Development Authority will be responsible for planning growth in the region without confronting the authority and functioning of panchayats. Sources said while the AMR Bill is being drafted, a notification would be enough to kickstart the process.

With big ticket projects like Tata’s Nano parking next door, special investment regions (SIRs) in Dholera set to take off and the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor gearing up to drive through, Ahmedabad is dreaming big. For a metro emerging as the new centre of gravity for global investments, Ahmedabad is set to spread its wings from being a one-airport city to a metro boasting of five airports at Fedara, Matar, Vataman, Tarapur and Bagodara. To begin with, Ahmedabad metro will be powered by four immediate growth centres — Sanand, Dehgam, Kalol and Mehemdabad. Later, it would also encompass seven new urban centres — Anand, Tarapur, Nadiad, Matar in the south-east of the metro region and Kadi, Viramgam, Detroj in the north-west
region.

[GJ10]

Multi-Modal Transport for a Bigger Ahmedabad

With Ahmedabad Metropolitan Region (AMR) becoming a reality, there are a number of goodies in store sprucing and widening
of all state highways extending up to Dholka special investment region. The region will see multi-modal transportation hubs with Metro rail, BRTS, regional rail and the mass rapid transit system in the next seven to 10 years.

The new proposed regional plan recently submitted in August by Gujarat Urban Development Corporation (GUDC) has not only proposed five airstrips within 65 kilometres radius from Ahmedabad city, but also four multi-modal transport stations in the same vicinity. AMR will cover an area of almost 10,000 square kilometres and a separate authority called Ahmedabad Metropolitan Authority (AMA) will be formulated.

The regional plan also proposes to put an additional 113 kilometres of rail line in the region to the existing three lines. Not only this, the government has three such new plans to spruce up the state highway network in AMR that will link to main Delhi-Mumbai Infrastructure Corridor (DMIC). At least eight state highways will be refurbished and increased in width for freight carriers assisting the transportation logistics in AMR.

Three multi-modal transit hubs will integrate various modes of transport in AMR. These hubs will act as a single station that will help commuters shift from one mode of transport to the other. Three multi-modal hubs have been planned in Matar, Vataman and Tarapur.

Five new airstrips have also been proposed in AMR in the regional development plan which includes Matar, Vataman, Tarapur, Bagodara and Fedara. Fedara, according to urban development officials, will be developed as an international airport.

[GJ10]

Crossposted in Airports/Aviation Thread

GMR, GVK, Changi in Race to Pilot Fedara Airport

GANDHINAGAR: Top infrastructure firms like GMR, GVK and Changi of Singapore are learnt to be in the race to develop the proposed world class
international airport at Fedara village, 85 km from Ahmedabad, near Dholera.

The airport, which was first mooted a year ago, is on the fast track and evoking keen interest among airport developers, thanks to the recently concluded Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit 2009, government sources said.

A top bureaucrat close to Chief Minister Narendra Modi told TOI that the summit saw top infrastructure groups making a beeline for developing the international airport, of which these three biggies seemed to be more serious. The three giants are believed to be keen on developing the airport in a public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

"Executives of the three groups participating in the summit showed keen interest in developing the greenfield airport, for which 1,690.22 hectares of land has been reserved next to Fedara," a senior official said.

"We have, however, asked them to hold on as the proposal has been sent to the Airports Authority of India
(AAI) for preparing a detailed project report. Once we receive the AAI nod for the site, we will get down to the job of zeroing in on a developer for the airport."

According to sources, AAI officials present at the summit, including AAI's technical and financial director, were urged by the state government to expedite the DPR preparation.

The Fedara airport is strategically located between Ahmedabad and Dholera, the nearest point from Ahmedabad (110 km) in the Gulf of Cambay, where the Adani group is planning a private sector port. The airport is expected to be part of the 350-sq km Ahmedabad-Dholera special investment region that forms part of the second phase of Japan-supported $77-billion Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.

The need for a new international airport was felt because of rising international passenger traffic at the existing airport at Hansol, which despite a new upcoming world-class international terminal, is expected to face expansion constraints in the future.

[rajugentleman80]

Originally Posted by GJ10

With Ahmedabad Metropolitan Region (AMR) becoming a reality, there are a number of goodies in store sprucing and widening
of all state highways extending up to Dholka special investment region. The region will see multi-modal transportation hubs with Metro rail, BRTS, regional rail and the mass rapid transit system in the next seven to 10 years.

The new proposed regional plan recently submitted in August by Gujarat Urban Development Corporation (GUDC) has not only proposed five airstrips within 65 kilometres radius from Ahmedabad city, but also four multi-modal transport stations in the same vicinity. AMR will cover an area of almost 10,000 square kilometres and a separate authority called Ahmedabad Metropolitan Authority (AMA) will be formulated.

The regional plan also proposes to put an additional 113 kilometres of rail line in the region to the existing three lines. Not only this, the government has three such new plans to spruce up the state highway network in AMR that will link to main Delhi-Mumbai Infrastructure Corridor (DMIC). At least eight state highways will be refurbished and increased in width for freight carriers assisting the transportation logistics in AMR.

Three multi-modal transit hubs will integrate various modes of transport in AMR. These hubs will act as a single station that will help commuters shift from one mode of transport to the other. Three multi-modal hubs have been planned in Matar, Vataman and Tarapur.

Five new airstrips have also been proposed in AMR in the regional development plan which includes Matar, Vataman, Tarapur, Bagodara and Fedara. Fedara, according to urban development officials, will be developed as an international airport.

five airports at Fedara, Matar, Vataman, Tarapur and Bagodara.

This is great idea but it seems there is an error in reporting by TOI. Just check google maps... and you will notice that all of these cities are south of the AMD... 4 of this cities Fedara, Vataman, Tarapur and Bagodara are located around the new proposed greenfield airport site near fedara village close to the SIR/SEZ. Ideal solution for 5 airports would be one at current site 1. HASNOL, 2. mahemdavad (right of amd-vadodra expressway or the proposed 400 meter RING EXPRESSWAY) 3. Fedara 4. Prantij 5. somewhere between kalol and mahesaha...

WHAT SAY?? .. any comments?