Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has begun preparing a revival plan for seven dormant French wells along the Sabarmati, aiming to add 170 million litres a day (MLD) to the city's future drinking water supply, according to a report published 22 September 2026 by The Times of India. The wells were shut nine years ago after sewage inflows compromised the river water quality, and the civic body is now weighing whether to repair the existing structures or build new ones.
Key takeaways
- AMC is preparing a revival plan for seven French wells on the Sabarmati, which could add 170 MLD to the city's water resources [The Times of India].
- The seven wells were shut nine years ago after sewage inflows compromised river water quality [The Times of India].
- AMC currently treats around 1,600 MLD at its Kotarpur, Jashpur and Raska treatment plants [The Times of India].
- A 60 MLD sewage treatment plant has been built at Kotarpur at a cost of Rs 103 crore to treat sewage before it enters the river [The Times of India].
- The wells are located near Indira Bridge, Keshavnagar, Motera, Sabarmati and Vadaj [The Times of India].
What happened
The seven French wells, located near Indira Bridge, Keshavnagar, Motera, Sabarmati and Vadaj, were shut nine years ago, the report published 22 September 2026 by The Times of India said. Water quality reportedly deteriorated after the 2017 floods in Banaskantha raised bacterial levels in the Sabarmati, compounded by illegal discharge of sewage into the river from the Chandrabhaga canal in the western parts of the city and from Kotarpur, Nana Chiloda and nearby areas in the east.
Because demolishing and rebuilding the well structures would be expensive, the civic body now plans to appoint a consultant to assess whether the existing wells can be repaired or whether new ones will have to be constructed, The Times of India reported. The wells are not currently needed to meet demand, as AMC already receives sufficient raw water through the Narmada Canal and the new gravity line; officials are positioning the revival for when potable water demand rises.
An unnamed AMC official told the paper, "The city sources raw water from the Narmada Canal, the Shedhi Branch Canal and groundwater. The water is treated before being supplied to households. The AMC currently treats around 1,600MLD at its Kotarpur, Jashpur and Raska treatment plants," as quoted by The Times of India. The same official added, "The raw water quality of the Sabarmati is expected to improve. As the demand for drinking water grows, reviving the wells will become necessary. The matter is under review," The Times of India reported.
| Asset | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Potential additional supply from revived French wells | 170 MLD |
| Current AMC treatment capacity (Kotarpur, Jashpur, Raska) | 1,600 MLD |
| New Kotarpur sewage treatment plant capacity | 60 MLD |
| Kotarpur STP contract value | Rs 103 crore |
To tackle the upstream contamination, a 60 MLD sewage treatment plant has been built at Kotarpur at a cost of Rs 103 crore to treat sewage from Kotarpur and nearby areas before it enters the river, and AMC has also implemented a bioremediation project and plugged sewage inflows from stormwater outfall lines, according to The Times of India. The implementation process for the well revival plan is expected to begin shortly once the consultant assessment is complete.
Specification read
The headline figure of 170 MLD converts to 170,000 cubic metres per day of additional raw water yield if the wells are returned to service, a roughly 10.6% lift over the 1,600 MLD (1,600,000 m³/day) currently treated across the Kotarpur, Jashpur and Raska plants, with all conversion arithmetic grounded in the figures reported by The Times of India. The project is upstream, source-water restoration, not new end-of-pipe treatment, so the treatment train a buyer would normally spec (screening, primary clarification, biological such as A2O/MBR/MBBR/SBR/UASB, then tertiary and disinfection) sits one stage downstream of this decision. What this event really bears on is the pretreatment/sewerage side, namely the new 60 MLD Kotarpur STP, the bioremediation programme on the Sabarmati and the sealing of stormwater outfall lines, the kind of work covered under integrated sewage treatment and municipal water infrastructure packages, with downstream polishing typically handled through disinfection equipment. If your plant looks like a municipal intake on a peri-urban river, treating in the low-thousand m³/day range with BOD and bacterial load pressure from illegal sewer connections and monsoon runoff, this is what it means for you: the immediate procurement question is whether the existing well civil structures can be refurbished rather than rebuilt, and the parallel investment has to be in upstream sewage capture and treatment, not in expanding downstream disinfection capacity. For context on how similar municipal upgrades are being scoped in the same city, see this Effluent Treatment Plant in Ahmedabad: 2026 Engineering Buyer's Guide and this Leading Wastewater Equipment Suppliers for Municipal Facilities (2026 Guide).
FAQ
How much extra water could the revived French wells supply?
The seven wells, if restored, could add 170 MLD to Ahmedabad's water resources, according to The Times of India. That is on top of the 1,600 MLD currently treated at the city's Kotarpur, Jashpur and Raska plants.
Why were the wells shut and what is being done about it?
They were shut nine years ago after sewage inflows compromised Sabarmati water quality, and AMC has since built a 60 MLD STP at Kotarpur at a cost of Rs 103 crore, run a bioremediation project and plugged stormwater outfall lines, The Times of India reported.
What is the next procurement step for the well revival?
AMC plans to appoint a consultant to assess whether the existing wells can be repaired or whether new structures are needed, with the implementation process set to begin shortly, according to The Times of India. No consultant award date or contract value was reported.
Where are the seven French wells located?
They sit near Indira Bridge, Keshavnagar, Motera, Sabarmati and Vadaj, the report published 22 September 2026 by The Times of India said.
