Ahmedabad: The Standing Committee of the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Thursday approved the construction of a state-of-the-art Public Health Laboratory in Navrangpura Ward of the West Zone, aimed at sharply boosting the city’s public health and food safety testing capacity.

The laboratory will be built on a 3,007.26 sq. m plot at T.P. 03, F.P. 387/P, with 1,833.52 sq. m developed as built-up area. The project cost is estimated at ₹29.22 crore.

Multi-Storey Facility with Specialised Floors

The ground floor will house key public and administrative functions—sample collection, chemical storage, microbiology lab, emergency medical room, staff rooms, server room, offices for the CEO, lab-in-charge and Deputy Municipal Commissioner, along with toilets, pantry and lift access.

The first floor will accommodate core chemical testing units including a chemical laboratory, fume hood area, balance and wash areas, a staff room, chemical storage and record room.

The second floor, similar in layout, will focus on weight analysis and chemical testing, with dedicated balance and wash areas, storage, record room, pantry and toilets.

The third floor is earmarked for technical operations such as cylinder storage, retained sample storage, instrument rooms, dark room, balance area, and sample receiving facilities.

The fourth floor will feature high-end analytical and molecular testing zones, including an aflatoxin room, molecular lab, segregation room, storage, record room and staff facilities.

The fifth and top floor will include a seminar room, laboratory, instrument room and spaces designed for training and advanced demonstrations.

The current Public Health Laboratory in the city processes 4,000–4,500 samples annually, issuing reports within the 14-day FSSAI timeframe. The new facility is expected to handle 20,000–25,000 samples a year, significantly improving both testing volume and turnaround time.

It will also enable advanced testing, such as pesticide residues, heavy metals, aflatoxins, fatty acid profiles and vitamin analysis, many of which are not possible in the existing lab.

According to AMC, the upcoming laboratory will be the first among municipal corporations in India to offer such comprehensive testing capabilities. DeshGujarat