Flood rerun: Ahmedabad prepares for a Surat

Speaking to The Indian Express, Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner said: 8220;Though things are under control, we are taking all precautionary measures to prevent the situation from worsening. The Sabarmati river is in spate in the wake of over 2.62 lakh cusecs of excess rain water being released from Vasna barrage. We have requisitioned the services of two army columns and an IAF chopper to help local authorities in relief and rescue operations.8221;

The civic body chief said that over 30,000 people have already been evacuated from low-lying areas downstream of the Vasna barrage, including the slums that have come up along the banks of Sabarmati river near Vasna, Khanpur, Gandhi Ashram, Dudheshwar, Jamalpur, Behrampura, Raikhad and Chandrabhaga localities.

An official at the flood control room in the district collectorate said that though there was no imminent danger to the people living in the vicinity of Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, the flood situation may worsen if neighbouring Rajasthan continues to receive heavy rains increasing the water level at Dharoi dam. The Sabarmati gets flooded whenever the dam discharges excess floodwater during the monsoon, forcing authorities to open all gates of Vasna barrage. Till 5 pm today, the water level at Dharoi reservoir was at 619.38 feet, just three feet below its full level of 622 feet.

The government has requested the services of IAF and para-military forces for rescue operations in other parts of central and north Gujarat. Assisted by two CRPF platoons, local authorities today evacuated over 5,000 people from as many as 23 marooned villages of Dholka taluka in Ahmedabad district and another 5,000 from 13 riparian villages of Tarapur and Khambhat talukas in Kheda district. Over 19,000 people from 43 flood-ravaged villages of Matar taluka in Kheda were also evacuated and moved to safer places, said director of relief DA Satya.

A large-scale evacuation operation is also on in several central Gujarat districts like Kheda, Anand, Vadodara and the Panchmahals with the water level in the Mahi river rising following the excess flood water being released from the Kadhana dam and the Vanakbori weir. While over 5.20 lakh cusecs of water was released from the Vanakbori weir at around 5 pm, the outflow of 2.78 lakh cusecs was recorded at the Kadhana dam which continues to receive flood waters from its catchment areas falling in Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, Surat city, which was ravaged by flash floods in Tapti river last week, heaved a sigh of relief on Wednesday as only 1.42 lakh cusecs of water was released from the Ukai dam as the inflow from the dam8217;s catchment areas was reduced to a meager 92,844 cusecs. It had crossed to 12 lakh cusecs last week.