A fresh spell of heavy rain lashed central Gujarat late Friday and continued into Saturday, inundating low-lying areas, disrupting road connectivity and prompting authorities to issue flood alerts across five districts, including Vadodara.
The road leading to the Statue of Unity was closed due to waterlogging, disrupting tourist traffic on the weekend. Officials said the Vadodara-Dabhoi road near Rajli village would be reopened once water levels receded.
In Vadodara district, incessant overnight rain led to flooding in the city and surrounding areas. Rescue teams evacuated around 150 people, including 140 students, from a hostel near Waghodia after they were stranded in waist-deep water. They were rescued around 3 am using tractors and other equipment.
The evacuated students were shifted to safer locations, where food, drinking water and medical assistance were arranged. Authorities said all those rescued were safe. Pumping operations are underway to drain water from the campus, sources said.
Municipal Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu visited waterlogged localities in Vadodara city, while District Collector Anil Dhameliya inspected Dev Dam late at night to review gate operations amid rising inflows from the upper catchment. Officials appealed to residents of low-lying areas to remain vigilant and avoid rumours.
Vadodara’s Ajwa as well as Pratappura reservoirs saw a significant rise in water levels — Ajwa standing at 210.5 feet with an increase of two feet in 24 hours, while Pratappura has risen to 226 feet. Both the reservoirs are receiving steady inflow of water from the catchment areas of Panchmahal district.
“Both the reservoirs are still below the rule level, and we have a cushion for water inflow as Ajwa is about 210.5 feet. The teams visited and monitored the situation. We have received about 3.5 inches of cumulative rain in the last 24 hours. But since the city’s stormwater drainage is fully functional and 74 pumping stations are running, the waterlogging in the usual places, especially walled city areas, has receded within half an hour. There is nothing to worry as of now,” Babu told The Indian Express.
Story continues below this ad
The heavy rain, however, exposed the city’s old infrastructure, with fresh sinkholes reported from Ward 12, where residents alleged that road cave-ins had become a recurring monsoon hazard due to ageing underground drainage and water pipelines. In one incident, a dog fell into a deep sinkhole near the Ward 12 office and was rescued by the fire brigade. Residents accused civic authorities of failing to undertake preventive maintenance despite repeated cave-ins in the locality.
Karjan Dam gates opened
In neighbouring Narmada district, the administration opened seven gates of the Karjan Dam after heavy rainfall in the catchment area. Around 82,100 cusecs of water, including hydropower discharge, was released into the Karjan river, prompting an alert for 15 to 20 downstream villages, including Rajpipla, Bhadam, Bhacharwada, Hajarpura, Dhanpor and Dhamanacha. Officials urged residents living along the riverbanks to remain cautious as inflows into the reservoir continued.
The Narmada district health department shifted 101 high-risk pregnant women from flood-prone villages to hospitals in a preemptive move, enabling the safe delivery of 25 babies over the past 72 hours. Under ‘Operation Safe Delivery’, health officials identified 142 women whose expected delivery dates fell on or before August 15 and launched a rapid survey to relocate those at risk before roads became impassable. District Health Officer Dr Zankhana Vasava said the deliveries included six each in Garudeshwar and Nandod, five in Chikda, four in Sagbara, three in Tilakwada and one in Dediapada. All mothers and newborns are healthy and under observation.
Bharuch on high alert
Bharuch district also remained on high alert after heavy rain caused several causeways to overflow. Authorities closed 15 roads across Valiya, Netrang and Jhagadia talukas as a precaution. Barricades, warning signs and police personnel were deployed at the affected stretches, while alternative routes were arranged in parts of Netrang.
Story continues below this ad
The rain also claimed a life in Bharuch district. A 50-year-old man, Sureshbhai alias Gadbad Chandubhai Rathod, drowned while bathing in a village pond at Keshwan in Vagra taluka on Friday. Villagers rushed to rescue him, but he was declared dead after being pulled from the water. Vagra police have registered a case of accidental death and initiated an investigation.
Shedhi river above danger level
In Kheda district, heavy rain since early Saturday caused the Shedhi river to swell and flow above danger level, prompting the administration to advise residents living along the riverbanks to remain alert. While the rising water levels raised concerns in vulnerable areas, the rainfall brought relief to farmers hoping for a good kharif season.
Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.
Expertise:
Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including:
Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground.
Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure.
Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case).
Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions.
Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More
