VADODARA, May 18: Fearing floods due to the construction of a branch canal of the Sardar Sarover Project (SSP) in Vadodara, Mayor Bharati Vyas has urged the State Government to plan for directly diverting the rain waters into river Vishwamitri.Vyas told Express Newsline on Tuesday that with the construction of the branch canal, the natural water courses in the northern part of the city have been disrupted, and hence water from Sama and Chhani, instead of going into Vishwamitri enters the housing societies and even the Bhukhi natural water course.In a letter to Major Irrigation and Narmada Minister Jaynarayan Vyas, the Mayor has said that like Ahmedabad, where the State Government and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) have jointly chalked out a plan to tackle the floods due to Karikat canal, in Vadodara, too, a similar plan should be chalked out.The Mayor has pointed out that the capacity of the Bhukhi natural water course is not much. According to her, its capacity cannot be increased as there are houses on its banks.Due to its low capacity, the water spills out from it and enters the housing societies in Sama and Chhani. Slums in the low-lying areas are also affected, Vyas added.According to the Mayor, such a plan, if implemented would not only the give city respite from floods but would also protect the Narmada canal.Reiterating the need for the State Government to help the Vadodara Municipal Corporation, the Mayor said that the problem began outside the city and was aggravated by the construction of the canal.
