Flood-like situation emerges in Vadodara after rise in Vishwamitri river level

Vadodara: Over two lakh people in the city are facing a flood-like situation as the Vishwamitri river in Vadodara has swelled due to incessant rains in catchment areas and inundated residential colonies in its vicinity. [caption id=“attachment_1705647” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] “Over two lakh people are affected due to river water inundating the residential areas mostly in western parts of the city,” Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s standing committee chairman Hitendra Patel said. “The worst affected areas of the city are Panigate, Karlibaugh, Mandvi, Sayajiganj and Munjhmahuda where water has entered residential areas,” he said. The administration had on Tuesday shifted 1,500 people from these areas and today 200 more were taken to safer places. Water also entered the city’s Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad hospital, which is located near the river, and the zoo, forcing authorities to shift some animals from there. All the three bridges on Vishwamitri river have been closed. The administration has ordered closure of schools and colleges. Water level in the Vishwamitri river is presently at 33.5 feet, way above the danger level of 26 feet. The catchment areas of the river and the Ajwa dam on it received incessant rains yesterday due to which water was released in the river. “VMC has stopped releasing of water from Ajwa dam located on the outskirt of the city since 0530 hours today. It was done after Vishwamitri river passing through middle of the city was flowing 7.6 ft above the danger level of 26 ft,” Municipal Commissioner Manish Bhardwaj said. “The water level in the river will start going down as the release from Ajwa dam has been stopped,” Bhardwaj told PTI on Wednesday. “It is for the first time in its 128-year-old history that the dam’s water level crossed more than 215 feet,” Bhardwaj said. The civic authorities had opened all the 62 gates of the dam yesterday after it touched the level of 215.10 feet against capacity of the dam to store the water upto 214 feet. The city fire brigade has deployed boats in Sayajiganj, Parshurram Nagar Bhattha, Siddharth Bungalows society in Kareli Bagh and other places to evacuate people after flood water entered their houses, Deputy Municipal Commissioner KS Menat said. Nearly 1,000 people shifted yesterday from the worst-affected areas of the city have been provided shelter in the primary schools premises run by VMC where they are being provided food, medical and other facilities, Patel said. “About four lakh food packets were distributed among the people affected by floods,” he added. PTI