Flower Show 2025 opens for public with almost 15,000 visitors on its 1st day; SG Highway set to become dust-free road, work begins on Iskcon to Pakwan Circle stretch; warm days and cooler nights to persist; and more. Find out what’s happening in the city with this Ahmedabad News Roundup.
Flower Show 2025 opens for public with almost 15,000 visitors on its 1st day
The Ahmedabad Flower Show 2025 officially opened on Friday, welcoming around 15,000 visitors on its first day. Scheduled to run until 22nd January, the show has already generated over ₹10 lakh in ticket sales.
This year, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is striving for a Guinness World Record for the largest bouquet. The show features six zones displaying over 10 lakh flowers from 50 species and more than 30 sculptures. With additional attractions like food zones, nurseries, souvenir shop, audio guides, and interactive exhibits, the flower show has become a major draw for tourists and locals alike, offering a vibrant celebration of nature and artistry.
SG Highway set to become dust-free road, work begins on Iskcon to Pakwan Circle stretch
Work has commenced on a pilot project to turn Ahmedabad’s SG Highway into a dust-free zone, with the initial phase focusing on a 1.75-kilometre stretch between Iskcon and Pakwan Circle. The initiative, managed by the municipal corporation, AUDA, GUDA, and the National Highway Authority, aims to reduce air pollution and improve urban infrastructure.
The project, expected to be completed within eight months, includes innovative features such as cafes, gardens, walkways, and cycling tracks in the space between the main and service roads. Parking facilities will also be developed to curb traffic congestion.
Weather update: Warm days and cooler nights to persist
Ahmedabad faced another spell of unseasaonably warm weather, with Thursday’s daytime temperature reaching 30.5°C, 3.2°C above the normal seasonal average. The night was also warmer, with the temperature at 15°C, exceeding the norm by 2.7°C.
Friday followed suit with the maximum temperature climbing to 32.4°C (against a norm of 27.3°C) and the minimum staying at 15°C. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts continued warmth, predicting a maximum of 31°C and a minimum of 14°C for Saturday, signalling no immediate respite from the elevated temperatures.
Respiratory cases in Gujarat hit record 1.24 lakh, Ahmedabad sees 83% surge
Gujarat recorded an unprecedented surge in respiratory issues in 2024, crossing the 1-lakh mark for the first time with 1.24 lakh cases reported. This marks a 100% increase from the 62,036 cases recorded in 2018 as per EMRI 108 data. Ahmedabad recorded to 26% of these cases, with the city’s numbers climbing by 83% in 6 years, from 17,778 cases to 32,506.
On average, the city reported 89 cases daily, while Gujarat recorded 340 cases per day. Year-on-year, Ahmedabad and the state saw a 30% and 33% increase, respectively, highlighting the escalating public health challenge.
