IAS Sujeet Kumar’s Vision: A Greener, Cleaner, and More Sustainable Ahmedabad (Gujarat)

IAS Sujeet Kumar is a 2010 Batch Officer of Gujarat Cadre and is currently posted as Collector of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Heading the largest city in the state, his top priorities include handling revenue matters, land related issues and maintaining law and order.

Apart from his extensive workload, and in a quest to do more for the citizens, his vision for the district focuses on environmental sustainability " Beyond routine work, My top priorities right now are natural resource management—plantation drives, pond rejuvenation, water conservation, and creating public spaces for people in rural areas." He said

One of his key initiatives towards this is strengthening of natural ponds in rural areas.Kumar aims to rejuvenate these ponds, enhance their storage capacity and transform them into beautiful spaces where people can spend their leisure time."There are big ponds here in Gujarat," he explains. "Deepening these ponds will help recharge groundwater, which is crucial in a dry state like Gujarat. While the Narmada canal provides water, developing indigenous water sources is equally important."

Another major focus under his leadership is large-scale tree plantation."We've identified several barren areas, and cleaning them is another major priority," he notes.

In less than a month of taking charge as collector, Kumar with his ambitious bucket list aims to complete both projects before monsoon "Trees need time to take root for a higher survival rate, and pond deepening must be finished before the rains, as work cannot continue for the next two to three months once the monsoon arrives," he explains.

With these initiatives, Kumar envisions a greener and more sustainable Ahmedabad, ensuring that environmental conservation goes hand in hand with urban and rural development.