Gujarat's Urban Development Year 2025 Shows Major Gains in Sustainability

The state government declared 2025 as Urban Development Year under the vision of "Earning Well, Living Well", intending to strengthen urban infrastructure and improve the quality of life for citizens.

During the year, Gujarat has positioned itself as a model for sustainable urban development through a series of large-scale initiatives implemented across municipal corporations and municipalities.

One of the key outcomes has been a sharp increase in urban rainwater storage capacity under the 'Catch the Rain' initiative.

Officials said rainwater storage capacity has increased by nearly 4.19 lakh kilolitres following the development of nearly 2,900 rainwater harvesting systems in 17 municipal corporations and 152 municipalities.

In addition, 2,603 projects related to rainwater harvesting are currently under implementation, 1,230 projects are at the tender stage, and 6,642 new projects are in the planning phase.

Urban green infrastructure has also expanded significantly.

The state has planned the development of more than 240 hectares of new green spaces in urban areas, including gardens, sponge parks for groundwater recharge and urban forests.

Of the more than 340 urban development projects targeted for completion during the year, 146 have already been completed, while the remaining are at various stages of execution.

Tree plantation has been undertaken on a large scale to increase green cover in cities.

Against a target of planting 99 lakh trees during the Urban Development Year, nearly 90 lakh trees have already been planted across 17 municipal corporations and 152 municipalities.

Lake redevelopment and restoration have formed another important component of the programme.

A total of 140 lakefront projects have been planned across the state, of which 54 have been completed so far.

As per official figures, 57 projects are currently underway, nine are at the tender stage, and 20 projects are in the planning phase.

To promote renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions in urban areas, the state government has set a target of launching more than 285 solar projects.

Alongside this, 20 Reuse of Treated Waste Water (RTWW) projects are being implemented, which are expected to make around 656 million litres per day of treated water available for reuse.

Efforts to address urban air pollution are also progressing.

Clean Air Action Plans have been prepared for all municipal corporations in the state.

Plans have also been finalised for Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Gandhinagar, ensuring statewide coverage.

The state government has also reiterated its commitment to the scientific disposal of legacy waste in urban areas.

An ambitious target has been set to achieve 100 per cent disposal of legacy waste by March 2026.

Of the total 304.09 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste identified across urban areas, 281.802 lakh metric tonnes have already been scientifically disposed of.

In addition, prioritising urban sanitation and waste management, more than 1,823 projects worth over Rs 2,756 crore have been approved across the state.

Authorities have identified 1,533 garbage vulnerable points in public areas of cities, with work underway to eliminate them as part of efforts to improve urban cleanliness and environmental conditions.

- IANS