Ahmedabad: Drainage and stormwater projects in the city are under a cloud after a vigilance investigation uncovered alleged irregularities in projects worth crores. Civic officials reportedly found duplicate measurements, altered records and discrepancies between site work and official documentation. Four construction firms have now landed in the middle of the controversy, with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) ordering FIRs and freezing their participation in new tenders. The developments have raised fresh questions about project monitoring with the civic body and also triggered scrutiny of several ongoing projects across the city.The alleged irregularities surfaced in projects related to new stormwater lines, drainage lines and stormwater drainage networks in the eastern parts of the city.According to preliminary findings of the vigilance department, officials detected alleged tampering in measurement books, duplicate measurements, identical invoices and major mismatches between the work recorded on paper and the actual work carried out on-site. Following the findings, AMC has ordered registration of an FIR against four firms: Visat Construction, Meeral Infrastructure, Dhruvi Buildcon Pvt Ltd and Bhagirath Construction. The civic body has also barred the companies from participating in new tenders until the investigation is completed.The probe has become particularly significant because some of these companies were simultaneously handling multiple AMC projects worth several crores across Ahmedabad.Sources in the AMC said Meeral Infrastructure and Dhruvi Buildcon Pvt Ltd alone were awarded projects worth more than Rs 50 crore over the past year, many of which are still under execution. The vigilance department will now closely monitor all ongoing works linked to these contractors to check for further irregularities.”“Among the major projects under scanner is a Rs 34.12 crore contract awarded to Meeral Infrastructure during the standing committee meeting held on March 5. The contract involved laying a drainage line network in a TP scheme area of the North West Zone and was awarded at 25% below the estimated cost. On the same day, the company also received another contract worth Rs 1.85 crore for construction of compound walls around plots in Naroda ward,” said a source in the AMC.Dhruvi Buildcon Pvt Ltd, meanwhile, received a string of AMC contracts over the past year. According to AMC sources, the company was awarded tenders for 12 different projects between May 2025 and March 2026. “These included a Rs 1.21 crore drainage line project in Chandkheda approved on March 5, almost 19% below the estimated cost. On the same day, the company also secured a Rs 1.61 crore project for laying a new stormwater drainage line and building catch pits in the Chandkheda Housing Board colony,” a source revealed, adding: “Earlier, on Jan 1, the company received a Rs 44.72 lakh project for laying a stormwater network near Satyamev Hospital in Chandkheda. On Nov 20, 2025, AMC approved a Rs 4.16 crore proposal for laying and shifting stormwater drain lines on newly built roads in the West Zone.”Sources further said that Dhruvi Buildcon received projects worth Rs 1.31 crore and Rs 83.06 lakh for breakdown repair works in multiple city zones on Oct 3, 2025. “The company was also awarded Rs 86.41 lakh for repair works in Ranip ward on Sept 4, 2025; Rs 3.94 crore for a stormwater network project in an East Zone TP scheme on Aug 14, 2025; Rs 82 lakh for breakdown repairs in the North Zone on July 3, 2025; Rs 2.51 crore for choking and breakdown repairs in the Ellisbridge, Naranpura and Sabarmati areas under Package-2 on July 3, 2025; Rs 2.58 crore for laying a new drainage line in the East Zone on June 5, 2025; and Rs 2.50 crore for Package-3 repair works in the Ellisbridge, Naranpura and Sabarmati areas on May 15, 2025,” a source added.BoxDhruvi Buildcon got Rs 11cr projects through 5 single tenders in a yearAhmedabad: AMC has initiated the process to blacklist Dhruvi Buildcon Pvt Ltd. What has raised eyebrows within civic circles, however, is that several projects awarded to the company over the past year reportedly came through single-tender approvals. According to AMC sources, Dhruvi Buildcon secured over Rs 11 crore worth of projects through five single-tender approvals alone between May 2025 and March 2026. Officials said the investigation is still in its early stages and further scrutiny of records, bills and site execution reports is expected.
