Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Project Fallout: Santosh Nagar’s Struggle for Survival amid a Thriving Illegal Blood Market

In Ahmedabad’s Santosh Nagar, 60-year-old Abida Biwi Abdul Rehman Sheikh lives in a state of constant anxiety. She has struggled to sleep ever since the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) put up an eviction notice in her colony.

The flats in Santosh Nagar’s Sikander Bakt Nagar, allocated in 2013, house nearly 1,000 families—over 7,000 people, most of them Muslim—who were displaced when the Gujarat government demolished their jhuggis (hutments) on the Sabarmati river floodplains to create a grand riverfront.

The Sabarmati Riverfront project, central to Ahmedabad’s neoliberal transformation, was envisioned as a means to improve the city’s image, attract investments, and enhance the quality of life for its middle and upper-middle classes. However, large-scale displacement of the poor, such as Abida, from their homes and livelihoods is at the core of this urban restructuring.

Leaving behind her home near Chandranagar Bridge on the Sabarmati river 10 years ago, Abida and her neighbours moved into the Sikander Bakt Nagar flats. At the time, the government claimed to have transformed the lives of slum dwellers by relocating them to pucca housing with secure tenure. But soon, the so-called pucca flats allocated under Gujarat’s Urban Housing Scheme began falling apart, with peeling plaster, sinking floors, tilted structures, leaking roofs, and broken toilets—painting a grim picture of neglect.

By July 2023, the situation became so dire that the AMC put up an eviction notice calling on the residents to immediately vacate the four-storey flats and make their own living arrangements.

“First they grabbed our land. They gave us housing of such poor quality, and now that our flats are crumbling, they expect us to make our own arrangements? How are we supposed to do that when we can’t even secure a decent livelihood in this part of the city?” Abida asked, her voice choked with frustration.

The government refuses to take any responsibility for the poor condition of the flats. Jayeshkumar B. Upadhyay, Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad, said: “The responsibility for repairs lies with the residents if the structures have deteriorated after 10 years.” He also sidestepped questions about whether residents would in fact be evicted due to the buildings’ poor condition.

Beena Jadhav, founder of Rahethan Adhikar Manch, an organisation fighting for housing rights and human rghts, has been monitoring the Sabarmati Riverfront project since the early 2000s. She pointed out: “If the government-allocated houses for rehabilitation haven’t even lasted a few years after construction, the responsibility for the failure should lie with the corporation. Instead, the onus has been unfairly shifted onto the residents.” She added: “If the houses are falling apart, the corporation must provide alternative housing or make arrangements for repair; it is their responsibility.”

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No such arrangements have been made by the corporation, said the residents of Santosh Nagar in the Gujarat High Court, where they have filed an appeal. According to Ryan Sheikh, a prominent resident and active campaigner who brought the matter to the High Court, the repairs on the interiors of each housing unit would require nearly Rs.40,000-Rs.60,000. “But these repairs will not result in any structural improvements. The residents here, struggling with insecure employment, simply cannot afford such expenses on their own,” he said.

As many as 97 of the houses are in such bad shape that their balconies have already collapsed. Sultana Banu, 59, a widow living alone in one of the units, is wary of the outcome of the court case. “I don’t know if I should even trust the court. When you’re both poor and Muslim, it becomes hard to trust anyone,” she said.

Despair of the displaced

Relocated from the riverbed to far-flung areas, many of the displaced people are in despair because it has been hard to find work. Afreen (name changed to protect identity), 46, who once worked as a domestic worker in the affluent neighbourhoods near the riverfront, was able to earn enough to support her family, along with her husband’s income. However, the area they were relocated to had no neighbourhoods nearby to offer such employment opportunities.

Living along the Sabarmati once meant secure employment for many as there was easy access to work. Residents cultivated lands nearby and sold their produce on pushcarts, while others worked as dhobis or as workers in nearby factories.

Navdeep Mathur, an associate professor in the Public Systems Group at the Indian Institute of Management, said: “Residents were neither informed about where they would be relocated nor consulted during the process. This lack of planning left many struggling to find essential work after eviction.” He added: “Also, relocation to distant areas increased the distance from workplaces, resulting in higher travel costs and time, significantly impacting their mobility and standard of living.”

In Santosh Nagar, many of the residents are unemployed. They are forced to spend money on rickshaws to take them to distant localities in search of menial jobs. Abida’s husband, a mason, often struggles to find employment. “Even if he gets work, Rs.50-Rs.60 is spent just on travelling to the site,” she said. “In such circumstances, they either turn to drinking or gambling as an escape.”

Sheikh, another resident, added: “What comparison is there between the riverfront and Santosh Nagar? My father used to work in a factory in that area, but he could not continue in his job after the relocation. How can anyone survive spending Rs.100 a day on transport for a job that pays only a few thousand rupees a month?”

Hit by harsh realities

Shrinking employment opportunities and severe financial crises have become harsh realities for many of those displaced by one of the country’s largest urban resettlement programmes. Over the past three and a half years, more than 25 displaced individuals in Ahmedabad are reported to have taken their own lives under the crushing weight of financial hardship.

Jadhav points out that the official figures barely scratch the surface. “Since 2011, at least one person has died by suicide every week in these localities. The actual number is alarmingly high. [They have taken their own life] because their primary sources of livelihood have been completely wiped out,” she explained.

In Santosh Nagar, the crisis has driven residents to such desperation that they have resorted to selling their blood to meet daily needs.

“Selling blood is the only secure option we can imagine here,” said Afreen, who supports a family of eight, which includes her husband, two sons, their wives, and two grandchildren. Hesitantly, she admitted: “Most of us do it once a month. It pays enough to at least afford basic rations and household essentials. It doesn’t harm our bodies, and we get some money. Simple.”

In Santosh Nagar, it is an open secret. While no one admits to it publicly, it has become a grim survival strategy for many. Joraben, a resident of a nearby settlement, who has been associated with the Rahethan Adhikar Manch for a long time, explained: “It’s a mark of shame for families. People fear being looked down upon, but it’s a reality born out of the government’s failure to provide adequate rehabilitation.”

According to Joraben, the practice began discreetly but has grown more prevalent over time. “At first, it was rare, chori chupe hota tha [done in secret]. Now, it’s out in the open. Staff from private labs and other private facilities come directly to the colony [for blood collection]. When people are in dire need, they approach the labs themselves,” she said.

Jadhav estimates that the laboratories have been operating in the area for about five to seven years. “Word spread from one person to another. Someone tried it and shared their experience, saying they faced no side effects or pain. That gave others confidence. Everyone here is desperate for money, so they just go. The cycle continues, and more people get drawn in.”

Fatima (name changed to protect identity), 52, another resident who has resorted to selling blood, said: “I sometimes donate, but it’s usually my 21-year-old son who does it. As he has no jobs, this is the only way he can contribute to the household.” The illegal blood market persists despite a 1996 Supreme Court order banning paid donors and unlicenced blood banks. People like Fatima and Afreen claim to experience no health setbacks from donating blood so often. However, according to the Red Cross, donors should donate blood only once every 8 to 12 weeks to avoid potential risks.

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Afreen has been selling blood for nearly five years. Reflecting on how things have changed, she recalled: “Back then, we used to get Rs.400 for 300 grams of blood. Now, it’s Rs.1,500.” Pointing to the needle marks on her arm, she said: “We could never have imagined doing this to ourselves before moving here. But we never faced so much financial trouble living in the jhuggi near the Sabarmati.” Her husband interjected: “If there was employment, who would resort to this?”

The laboratories exploit people, preying on the financial desperation they are trapped in, said Jadhav. “But the larger accountability falls on the State government.”

The financial burden of the residents of Santosh Nagar is compounded by the constant need to repair their crumbling homes and the skyrocketing electricity bills. Sultana Banu, 65, expressed her frustration: “Even if you use electricity carefully, the bill comes to Rs.3,000. If not, it shoots up to Rs.7,000-Rs.8,000. How are we supposed to pay that?” Reflecting on their former lives, she remarked: “Jhopri mei rehna acha tha. Yaha toh sab baat ki takleef hai” (Living in the slums was better. Here, every little thing is a problem).

Non-existent basic civic amenities

In Santosh Nagar, basic civic amenities are almost non-existent. Garbage piles up unchecked, drains are clogged, and waterlogging has become routine. “The sewers are overflowing, and the corporation does nothing,” said Sultana Banu, pointing to the multiple complaint receipts she has raised in the local AMC office. “Even when we raise complaints, officials take days to respond if they show up at all.”

In the absence of municipal intervention, residents are often forced to spend from their own pockets to clean the area. For many, it is a cost they can barely afford. One resident explained: “We wouldn’t have stayed here if we had enough money to pay rent elsewhere. But how can we pay a rent of Rs.3,000-Rs.5,000 when we don’t even have enough even to feed ourselves?”

Navdeep Mathur criticised the Sabarmati Riverfront development project, saying it was made “deliberately obscure to deceive the people of the city”. Echoing this sentiment, Jadhav questioned the urgency behind constructing the houses for relocation and criticised the glaringly poor quality of their construction. “There are no clear answers as to why there was such a rush or why the construction standards were allowed to be so subpar. What’s needed now is a thorough investigation into the matter,” she said.

Meanwhile, an assessment of the Sabarmati Riverfront project reveals that its costs far outweigh the benefits, rising doubt on the narrative of development. The project has left a trail of displacement and trauma. Santosh Nagar is just one chapter; across locations such as Shahpur, Rakhiyal, Odhav, Ranip, Vasna, and Balol Nagar, resettlement sites built to house the over 13,000 displaced families have met a similar fate.

Constructed in 2012 at a cost of Rs.182 crore, these homes have since rapidly deteriorated, exposing the fragility of the promises made in the name of development. In some areas, the AMC has, in fact, demolished the buildings because they are unsound, and left the residents homeless again.

In Vatva, approximately 1,600 housing units were demolished within a year reportedly by bypassing the necessary approvals. The residents also claim that the demolition contracts were awarded without following formal procedures. According to the Rahethan Adhikar Manch, the demolition carried out on July 1 in Vatva affected at least 150 families who were temporarily living in the area.

A grim picture

The situation in Odhav paints an even grimmer picture. A resettlement site that used to house around 1,000 people saw the poorly constructed buildings collapsing on their own. On August 26, 2018, the AMC issued an eviction notice to the residents and tenants instructing them to vacate their homes immediately. Mere hours later, two buildings in the society collapsed, killing one person and injuring four.

In Santosh Nagar, the fear of an imminent collapse looms large over its residents: it is a disaster waiting to happen. Yet, the people have no option but to hope that the AMC will carry out repairs in time. As Sultana Banu put it: “The fear of the building collapsing over our heads is smaller than the fear of losing the only shelter we have.”

These incidents lay bare the harsh realities of a development model that seems to prioritise infrastructure and beautification projects over the safety and dignity of the people whose lives it claims to uplift.

On October 24, in response to a petition filed by Santosh Nagar residents, the Gujarat High Court questioned the AMC on how houses constructed just 10 to 15 years ago had fallen into such disrepair. The court also directed the State’s Principal Secretary of Urban Development to initiate an inquiry into the poor quality of construction. However, the residents’ appeal was dismissed, with the court instructing them to first approach the State-level grievance redressal mechanism before escalating the matter further. For now, the residents remain trapped between unsafe homes and waiting for an adequate response from the AMC.

In 2003, the then Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, praised the Sabarmati Riverfront project and instructed authorities to complete it within 1,000 days. He tasked the AMC and Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd with transforming Ahmedabad into a city comparable to Tokyo and Singapore. However, the question remains: did the rush to meet the Chief Minister’s deadline compromise the quality of construction in many of the resettlement sites to which the people were sent?

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Calling it a scam worth crores of rupees, councillors from the opposition submitted a memorandum to the Mayor in September 2024 demanding a CBI investigation.

Opposition leader Shehzad Khan Pathan stated: “To our knowledge, 2,200 houses have been demolished so far. These houses were built for poor, homeless families, but no poor person has been allocated a house in the last decade. Approximately Rs.180 crore worth of houses have deteriorated, leading to a loss of crores of rupees. Therefore, we demand a CBI investigation to take legal action against those responsible.”

More than a hundred riverfront projects are being planned in cities across India, with the Sabarmati project often touted as a model for urban renewal and riverfront development. However, the larger reality tells a different story. The urban poor continue to bear the brunt of the development costs long after the projects are completed. 

Anuj Behal is an independent journalist and urban researcher primarily focussing on issues of housing rights, urban justice, gender, and sexuality.