Ahmedabad: The Sabarmati Riverfront Project, once celebrated with awards for ‘Urban Design & Concept,’ ‘Safety,’ and ‘Best Practices for Improving the Living Environment,’ is now under scrutiny due to the deteriorating living conditions of the displaced families.

Thanks to the relentless efforts of the late lawyer Girish Patel, 21 resettlement sites were established in areas like Shahpur, Rakhiyal, Odhav, Ranip, Vasna, and Balol Nagar, sheltering over 13,000 families displaced by the project. However, the homes built in 2012 at a cost of Rs 182 crore have quickly fallen into disrepair, creating severe safety concerns for the residents. The crumbling structures now pose an imminent disaster risk.

The displaced families have struggled for over a decade to secure legal documents and ownership papers for their homes, but the corporation retains ownership, leaving the residents in constant uncertainty.

Jagdish Parmar, a resident of Swarnim Nagar in Vasna, shared his frustration: “Plaster falls from the walls, and water leaks from the ceilings. We are terrified to live here due to the dangerous conditions. In just 12 years, these houses have turned into ruins.”

Bharat Dabhi from Shyamjikrishna Varma, Odhav, echoed this concern, lamenting the filthy, crumbling environment. He considers moving but is deterred by Ahmedabad’s rising living costs. With no ownership documents, he fears the possibility of redevelopment and being left without a home.

The looming threat of redevelopment adds to their anxieties, as many are unsure if they will be provided with housing again. Despite the advocacy of local leaders like Pathan Sarfraz Khan, who has been urging authorities to take action, the residents still lack proof of their occupancy.

Recently, 1,664 of Vasna Swarnim Nagar’s 1,800 homes were demolished, leaving only 224 occupied. Similar demolitions have occurred in Sikanderbakhtarnagar, Behrampura, and Odhav, raising serious concerns about the future of these displaced families.