Gujarat Hardlook: Why Vadodara city sank

Godse, who saw vehicles go under water, said the water was at least 4 feet higher than the 2019 flood witnessed by the city. “One of our approach roads has continued to remained waterlogged for over 10 days due to possible obstruction in the drainage system. After this experience, we can only wish that the government works on the Vishwamitri rejuvenation project to mitigate flood risk.”

Vadodara city as Vishwamitri river overflowed last month. (Express Archive)

Alleged to be the worst flood witnessed by the city in 20 years, posh areas like Sama, Akota, Nizampura and Sayajigunj suffered powercuts, as government-run discom switched off feeders to avoid casualties.

Crocodiles found in Vishwamitri surfaced in the flood waters in the city and 41 were rescued in August alone.

Even as a study by the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) has concluded that the flooding was exacerbated by “extensive urban development”, Radhikaraje Gaekwad of the royal family of Vadodara, encapsulated the problem in a September 2 social media post, stating how Vadodara’s legacy of natural water flow systems was “marred by poor management and overdevelopment”.

The Pratappura reservoir that collects rain water from Halol and Pavagadh was meant to supplement the Ajwa dam during scant rainfall years. Both Pratappura and Ajwa dams were commissioned by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, her great grandfather-in-law.

The royal scion recalled how the city saw an annual rainfall of 1,955 mm in 1878, 1,752 mm in 1917, and 2,336 mm in 1927. She also mentioned the flood of 2005, when the city saw 2,280 mm of rain submerging the horse of the statue of Maharaja Sayajirao at Kala Ghoda circle, earning it the name of “Ghoda poor” and was compared to the 1927 flood.

Gaekwad’s post claimed that the rain caused an estimated damage of Rs 56 crore to Ajwa and Pratappura reservoirs, which she said illustrated “the consequence of neglecting historical lessons in flood management”.

On the evening of August 26, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) issued video warnings of a “grave situation” after Ajwa and Pratappura dams began overflowing into the Vishwamitri river. With Ajwa dam crossing its maximum level of 213.85 feet and Pratappura dam at around 230 feet, Vishwamitri — also marred by encroachment narrowing its breadth — witnessed an inflow of over 42,000 cusec of water as against its current carrying capacity of 2,8000 cusec.

By midnight on August 27, several parts of Vadodara had witnessed powercuts and water rising above 11 feet, inundating homes, damaging vehicles and even roads. Though the rain paused on August 27 evening, the flood level continued to rise for 48 hours until late afternoon on August 29 – over 12 hours after the VMC decided to shut the gates of Ajwa dam to maintain its level at 213.65 feet.

A research team under Udit Bhatia, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and Computer Science and Engineering at IITGN and principal investigator of Machine Intelligence and Resilience Laboratory, who works on the resilience of urban systems to counter extreme events, analysed the maximum rainfall received between August 20 and 29.

Bhatia’s research pointed at the flooding in Vadodara as the likely outcome of “extensive urban development in flood-prone areas, altered elevations and drainage patterns compromised due to rapid urbanisation and clogged drainage systems”. “Analysis of urban land use shows rapid expansion near riverbanks, particularly downstream in Vadodara, where developments are vulnerable to persistent flooding. Intense rainfall poses a significant challenge to drainage systems, and without integrating urban basin management, even routine rainfall events could have unexpectedly severe consequences,” he told The Indian Express.

On a visit to Vadodara on August 29, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel granted in-principle approval to a Rs 1,200-crore Vishwamitri river revival and rejuvenation project. The BJP-ruled VMC had proposed a similar Vishwamitri Riverfront Development Project in 2010, for which a special purpose vehicle was set up, but nothing moved.

In 2019, after another bout of floods, then Vijay Rupani-led BJP government announced a mega project to rejuvenate the Vishwamitri. However, the detailed project report that was approved by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) was never implemented.

Activist Rohit Prajapati of Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, who had dragged VMC to NGT in 2016, said, “The reason behind flooding are an unprepared city that choked and blocked every natural water drain and reduced absorption and carrying capacity in its ill-conceived quest for development. Mega infrastructure projects like the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Express Highway, the eight lane Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway and the (Mumbai to Ahmedabad) bullet train project have obstructed and altered the inter-linked natural river system…”

Blaming VMC for not acting on the NGT directive of 2021, he said, “A temporal analysis through satellite images and other secondary data can be undertaken to identify the extent of disruptions over the years… This could be the biggest flood in a century.”

The NGT order dated May 25, 2021, had said that in the ecology of Vishwamitri, the presence of the highly protected species, the Indian crocodile and turtles, are of paramount importance. “…Any activity against the survival of the highly-protected species, without approval by the State Wildlife Board/National Wildlife Board and the Government of India is illegal,” it had added.

Prajapati said the NGT had asked the VMC to come up with a river restoration plan. “This would include mapping scientifically and accurately the locations and extent of solid waste dumping areas, untreated and ill-treated sewage disposal, waterlogged and flooded areas within the watershed, including the entire stretch of the river along with its tributaries and associated ravines and wetlands…”

Advocate Shailesh Amin, who formed citizens’ action group Vishwamitri Bachao Samiti, had in 2015 fought tooth and nail against the construction of a retention wall in a ravine of the river at Sama by a builder as part of VMC’s slum redevelopment housing colony. “Since the Vishwamitri was known to flood low-lying agricultural land along its riverbank, the Gujarat government, as per an urban plan several years ago, classified both sides of the riverbank as Restricted Zone 1… These lands along the river course are to be considered as a part of the flood plain of the river because during monsoon, the river water spills over to these lands, increasing the width,” Amin said.

He added, “As per norms, no permission for construction can be granted on Restricted Zone 1 lands, which can be used only as gardens and open spaces. However, over the last three decades, due to the increasing population in the city and the need for urban housing, several such restricted zones were transferred into residential zones and granted permission for construction of residential and commercial complexes…”

Prajapati and his team of activists had put forth before the NGT, satellite images of 2015 and 2017 of the Vishwamitri river course near Bhimnath Talav in Sayajigunj, whose significant portion had been claimed for the development of another slum rehabilitation scheme of the VMC under public private partnership model.

Harni, Sama, Nizampura, Sayajigunj, Akota, Manjalpur, Atladara, Kalali, and Vadsar – all of which have seen rapid development and construction over the last decade, especially into the restricted zone along the river course, were among the worst impacted by the flood.

When contacted, Municipal Commissioner Dilip Rana said a high-level committee of the state government would view presentations on the proposed Vishwamitri revival project. “We have also begun clearing encroachment along the river as well as other areas that obstruct the flow of water…,” he added.

Chief whip of the government in the Legislative Assembly and Raopura BJP MLA, Balkrishna Shukla, said: “The subject of Vishwamitri is related to various departments – irrigation, PWD, revenue and Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board – and not as much to VMC because although the river passes through corporation area, it is impacted from what happens outside the city area.” Shukla had first proposed the Vishwamitri rejuvenation project in 2010.

He added that the new project will entail widening storm water drains, superimposing a green belt around the river to ensure that floods are mitigated. The rejuvenation “would take a lifetime” though the work done would be visible in the coming years, said Shukla.

Bhatia said urban hydrology has to be at the centre of any new infrastructure plan. “How various developments, zonation laws, permission to build roads and buildings, among others, are going to interact with Vishwamitri… Also, a sustainable river development plan that goes beyond designing riverfront and also talks about coupling of built and natural systems that would work for the river and what would work for the city,” he added.

Core issues

Environmental planner Neha Sarwate, who is a part of the citizens’ forum seeking a holistic development of Vishwamitri river, said, “Even clear directions given by the concerned authorities of the state and the Centre in conjunction with the various court orders are conveniently ignored for reasons best known to the VMC.”

“Ravines and wetlands are being systematically destroyed and filled with debris and municipal solid waste to reclaim land for further development. This will further exacerbate the already existing waterlogging and flooding issues faced by various parts of the city… These actions are in blatant violation of the NGT order of May 2021.”

Bhatia said that real-time data on rainfall, drainage capacities and flood risks should be accessible, enabling decision-makers, communities and the public to respond swiftly and effectively. The key takeaway from Vadodara, according to Bhatia, is that holistic planning, informed by smart data sensing and supported by adaptive infrastructure, can help cities not only withstand the pressures of climate change and urbanisation but also help them thrive in the face of future challenges.

What Surat did right

Surat, which has been through the plague of 1994, saw flooding in 2006 from water released to Tapi river from Ukai dam. Bhatia said the city took measures like making drainage systems fully functional around the river, mindful of elevations.

“Now, Surat is also going to build its riverfront to protect the city from overflowing Tapi. A lot of thought is being given to ensure that flood level assessments are right… that is going to take time but let us build this to last, rather than go back and introspect what to build,” he added.