Vadodara city still under water, Army called in

A statement by State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said that three columns of the Army have been deployed in Vadodara, in addition to the four already working in the district.

While four NDRF teams were already involved in rescue operation in Vadodara, one more has been deployed, it added. One more SDRF team was also allocated for the city on Wednesday, taking the total number of such teams to six.

Health Minister and government spokesperson Rushikesh Patel told mediapersons that over 5,000 people were evacuated and another 1,200 rescued so far in Vadodara. “The Vishwamitri river crossed the danger mark of 25 feet on Tuesday morning, following heavy rain and the release of water from Ajwa dam,” he said after a review meeting with senior officials.

“Water level of Ajwa Dam is 213.8 feet at present. We have closed the gates so that no additional water goes into Vishwamitri river. The river is currently flowing at 37 feet, well above the danger mark. Water has spilled into the city and many areas are flooded,” he added.

“The situation is alarming in Vadodara because many areas on both sides of the river are still under 10 to 12 feet of water. Some areas are under four to five feet of water,” Patel added.

Siddharth Nagar, Akota, Harni-Sama road, Fatehgunj, Munjmahuda and Vadsar were among the worst-affected areas, said Patel, adding that more boats have been sent to expedite the relief and rescue work.

As a long-term solution, the government is considering a proposal to divert floodwaters into the Narmada canal instead of releasing it in Vishwamitri, he said.

“Such a situation has arisen after nearly 20 years. The Vishwamitri gets water from Ajwa, Pratappura and three other non-gated reservoirs. As a long-term solution to flooding, we are considering diverting the dam water into Narmada canal instead of releasing it into Vishwamitri. The plan has been discussed with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel,” he said.

The Vadodara District Education Office, meanwhile, declared that all schools and educational institutions will remain closed on Thursday as well. Primary schools had been shut for the last two days.

At least 10 students from KG Hall, a hostel in MS University, were rescued after water inundated the campus at Fatehgunj. The NDRF also rescued a pregnant woman and her husband stuck in the flood waters at Sama. It further rescued 16 people from Harni and 51 people from Old Padra road in Akota.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel directed authorities to deploy cleaning equipment and spray disinfectants in the city as soon as flood water starts receding.

He directed that teams from municipal corporations of Ahmedabad and Surat, and municipalities of Bharuch and Anand be deployed in Vadodara for the purpose.

Following this, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation said it will send 100 sanitation workers to help clean Vadodara.