Ahmedabad News | Free AMTS bus rides for women on Raksha Bandhan, city's 1st Nakshatra Garden & more

Free AMTS bus rides for women on Raksha Bandhan, the city’s first Nakshatra Garden to be established at GU, doctors' strike in Gujarat halts OPD and other services today, and more. Catch up on the latest news from your city with this Ahmedabad News Roundup.

On Raksha Bandhan, the 19th of August, women passengers can travel for free on AMTS buses. As part of its annual tradition, the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) is offering this special gesture to make the festive day more convenient for women.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) encourages women to take advantage of this offer and celebrate Raksha Bandhan with ease.

The city’s first-ever Nakshatra Garden, also known as an arboretum, is set to be developed on the Gujarat University campus. This garden, aimed at raising awareness about the significance of plants associated with Nakshatras (constellations), Rashis (moon signs), and Navgraha (nine celestial bodies), will be situated near the Atal Kalam Research Centre.

Spanning 10 acres, this Rs 30 crore project will feature the Arogya Van at its core, divided into three main sections: Navgrah Van (nine planets), Nakshatra Van (constellations), and Raashi Van (zodiac signs). Additionally, an Arogya Cafe will be established within the garden.

In a renewed effort to tackle the issue of illegal sewage discharge into the Sabarmati River, authorities in Ahmedabad will conduct a special drive to identify unauthorized connections to the Ahmedabad Mega Clean Association (MEGA) line. As part of this initiative, approximately 1,000 factories in areas like Vatwa, Narol, Odhav, and Naroda will be shut down for two days, on the 16th and 17th of August.

During this period, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) will jointly inspect the mega line for any illegal connections. Factories found with unauthorized connections will face closure and legal action.

Doctors from government hospitals and resident doctors in Gujarat have launched a strike today. During the strike, outpatient departments (OPD) and other services will remain closed, though emergency services will continue to operate.

Yesterday, junior doctors and students in Ahmedabad organised a rally at Civil Hospital, marching to the hostel canteen and then to the medical college. The rally saw significant participation from women doctors, who raised slogans calling for justice in context to the recent events in Kolkata.

In a bid to improve safety at construction sites and minimize traffic disruptions, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has rolled out a new standard operating procedure (SOP) for the use of tower cranes.

Under the new guidelines, builders must obtain a competency certificate as per the Factories Act and secure safety certifications from relevant authorities. Third-party inspections to ensure structural stability are now mandatory. The SOP also restricts the movement of cranes on roads during peak traffic hours to avoid congestion.