Gujarat's blueprint for 2030 CWG: Land acquisition, new stadiums, mass evictions and infra upgrade

Even before Ahmedabad was recommended as the proposed host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games by the executive board of Commonwealth Sport in October, the Gujarat government had announced the construction of a multi-storey indoor and outdoor sports complex in the Vastral area of Ahmedabad at a cost of Rs 52 crore in September.

Simultaneously, the government began the land acquisition process for expanding the existing Sardar Vallabhbhai Sports Complex and the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, which was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on September 15.

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Three months later, Ahmedabad was officially declared the host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, in Glassgow, Scotland, on November 26.

The city will also host 15 to 17 sports in the Commonwealth Games.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Sports Complex

The Sardar Patel Sports Complex in Motera, which houses the Narendra Modi Stadium, will be the primary venue for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

For expansion of the complex, the Gujarat government has begun the acquisition of 650 acres of land across the Motera and neighbouring Sughad, Bhat and Koteshwar on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city.

In addition, the Ahmedabad Revenue Department sent notices to three ashrams in Ahmedabad — Asaram Ashram, Bharatiya Seva Samaj and Sadashiv Pragya Mandal ashram — to clear 140 acres of land in June this year for sports infrastructure.

A three-member committee was also formed to oversee the process, comprising Banchhanidhi Pani, the Commissioner of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), Sujeet Kumar, the District Collector of Ahmedabad and an official from Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA).

Primary venue

“The process of land acquisition is still underway. Out of the total 650 acres allotted for sports infrastructure for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, 280 acres is for a new sports complex that will include stadiums for various events and practice areas. About 240 acres will be allocated to build a village for players, coaches and other staff and 50 acres of land adjoining the Sabarmati Riverfront is for reception and a helpdesk. However, the Sardar Patel Sports Complex in Motera, which houses the Narendra Modi Stadium, will be the primary venue for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. The complex will be connected to the sports village constructed surrounding it and to the Sabarmati Riverfront,” Kumar told The Federal.

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“The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave is currently being expanded and renovated by the Gujarat Sports Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (GSID — the nodal agency for the construction of sports infrastructure in Gujarat). Construction of ten new stadiums and temporary venues for events such as gymnastics, skateboarding, softball and tennis is in process. Land is also being acquired under the Town Planning Act for road widening around the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera. Those who are losing their land or homes are either being compensated or provided with alternative accommodation,” added Kumar.

Baldevnagar slum to be vacated

Apart from this, six smaller sports complexes are being built around the Sardar Patel Sports Complex.

However, the massive land acquisition as part of preparations for the Commonwealth Games has ended up displacing more than 300 families in Ahmedabad, a majority of whom are from the Baldevnagar slum near the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Multiple residents of Baldevnagar slum, which has been asked to be vacated completely, challenged the land acquisition in the Gujarat High Court.

The court rejected the two petitions in September and early November — one filed by 29 residents and another by a group of 49 residents of Baldevnagar on the grounds that they were "devoid of merit," and asked the AMC to provide alternative accommodation to the residents.

Veer Savarkar Sports Complex

Built across 21 acres of land at a cost of Rs 820 crore, Veer Savarkar Complex in the Naranpura area of Ahmedabad is proposed to be another venue for the Commonwealth Games and later be used for the 2036 Olympics, for which India is bidding.

The first plan for the sports complex was laid out in May 2022. At that time, the estimated cost of the sports complex was Rs 564 crore.

“In three years, multiple changes were made to the initial plan as per the requirements suggested by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). By 2024, the budget had shot up to Rs 732 crores. Later, several jacuzzi, self-sanitising passages, upgraded kitchens, diving mats and other amenities were also added to the plan, taking the final budget to Rs 820 crores,” said an official of GSID, which functions directly under the Chief Minister of the state.

Six-block complex

“The complex is divided into six blocks. Block A is the aquatic stadium, block B is the centre for sports excellence, block C houses the indoor multi-sports arena, block D contains community sports centre, block E is the only part of the complex that will remain open to the public through the year, as it will be transformed into the Fit India Zone; and block F has the outdoor sports facilities,” added the official.

As per the final blueprint of the sports complex, the Aquatic Stadium in block A is 3,862 square metres and can accommodate 1750 people.

The pools, made as per the regulations of World Aquatics, can be converted to different sizes to make them suitable for regular swimming competitions, artistic swimming, water polo and diving events.

Block B is designed to house the Centre for Sports Excellence with two triple-height, column-less halls each spread across 41.24 metres. These halls will have facilities for training athletes in badminton, volleyball, basketball, combat sports and various floor sports.

Block B will also have quarters to accommodate 300 people, including players and coaches, along with a sports science laboratory, a nutrition laboratory, a dining hall with capacity to seat approximately 150 VIP guests, kitchen, a gymnasium with a steam room for players.

Facilities for indoor games

Block C, dedicated to the indoor multi-sport arena is the largest section of the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex and is spread over an area of 3,645 square metres.

The section will contain sixteen badminton courts, four basketball courts, four volleyball courts, four gymnastics mats and facilities for table tennis, kabaddi, wrestling, other floor sports and fencing, with a seating capacity of 5,200 people.

Block C will also contain VIP lounges, medical rooms, separate rooms for national and international media, and technical rooms for event management organisations.

Block D houses the Community Sports Centre and a sports club that will open for membership throughout the year. It will have a gymnasium, cafeteria, library, an aerobics room and indoor game facilities like carrom, billiards, chess, and snooker.

This block will have six badminton courts, six table tennis tables, six squash courts, and 20 indoor shooting ranges.

The Fit India Zone in block E is the area that will be accessible to the general public free of cost throughout the year and will contain a skating rink, jogging track, grounds for khokho and kabaddi, an outdoor gymnasium area, seating areas for children and senior citizens and lawns.

The outdoor zone in block F will consist of six tennis courts, a basketball court, heated swimming pools and volleyball courts.

Apart from the six zones in the sports complex, there are designated areas planned for parking space for 850 four-wheelers and 800 two-wheelers, a 275 KW solar plant, a sewage treatment plans of 60 KLD and a 66 kV high-tension underground power line.

Vastral sports complex

The sports complex, with a budget of Rs 51 crore, is the only venue for the Commonwealth Games located in the eastern part of Ahmedabad. The complex is being built on around 11 acres of land along the SP Ring Road in the Vastral area of the city.

As per sources in the GSID, this smaller sports complex will be equipped with a multipurpose hall, a football ground, a swimming pool, gymnasium, four tennis courts, a 400-meter athletic running track, facility for long jump, six indoor table tennis rooms, changing rooms for players and seating rooms for coaches.

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“The Vastral sports complex is meant for practice and training during the games and not for the main event,” said the official.

“This apart, the Sanskardham educational institute (an educational complex founded in 1992) in Ahmedabad is being renovated for combat sports. Within the Gujarat Police Academy in Karai, Gandhinagar work has begun on 143 acres to transform it into a facility for hosting rugby, rugby 7s, football, weightlifting and rifle shooting,” he added.

Road widening and beautification

While the GSID is building the sports infrastructure, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has been tasked with a seven-kilometre sports-themed corridor and other road-widening projects around the sports complexes.

“Some housing, dining, healthcare and training amenities for the players and their coaches and staff are also coming up at Gandhinagar. The project will be announced formally once the location is finalised. The event will be hosted between Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad and the roads are being replanned accordingly,” said Banchhanidhi Pani, the AMC Commissioner.

“We also have plans for further beautification of the twin cities (Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar) before the 2030 event,” he added.