Vadodara, Feb 24 (IANS) The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) in Gujarat has initiated steps to prevent flooding in the Vishwamitri River.

An official said that the excavation work for a buffer pond has commenced at Dena, the confluence of the Vishwamitri and Surya rivers.

He added that the project is expected to continue for the next 100 days. Officials believe that the pond will not only aid in flood prevention but also serve as a valuable water resource.

Shital Mistri, Chairman of the VMC Standing Committee, informed that the municipality had acquired land near the Surya River in Dena back in 1970 for brick kilns. Of the seven hectares owned by the corporation, five hectares have been designated for the buffer pond excavation, which has been assigned to a contractor.

The pond will be dug to a depth of 5.5 to 8 meters to ensure water flow from the Surya River, thereby creating a buffer lake along its banks.

This reservoir may also serve as a drinking water source in the future. Additionally, as part of a larger plan, this pond will be interconnected with other lakes to enhance water storage capacity and mitigate flooding in the Vishwamitri River.

Authorities estimate that the buffer pond will have the capacity to store 25 crore litres of water. Municipal Commissioner Dilip Rana stated that the buffer lake would be constructed on municipal land near the confluence of the Vishwamitri and Surya rivers.

The project involves excavating around two lakh cubic meters of soil, with completion expected within two and a half to three months. This pond is expected to play a crucial role in controlling river flooding while also serving as a long-term water source for the city.

More recently, the 2024 floods in late August were among the worst the state has seen in recent years. A rare atmospheric phenomenon, involving a deep depression over land, caused unprecedented rainfall across various districts, including Vadodara, Jamnagar, Dwarka, Rajkot, Morbi, and Bhuj.

The Vishwamitri River in Vadodara overflowed, leading to extensive urban flooding. By early September 2024, Gujarat had received 118 per cent of its seasonal monsoon rainfall, displacing over 20,000 people and severely damaging infrastructure and agricultural land.

Navsari district recorded the highest rainfall in August 2024 at 356 mm, followed by Dangs (290 mm) and Vadodara (270 mm). The state witnessed extensive flooding, disrupting normal life and forcing authorities to take emergency measures.

Historical flood data suggests that Gujarat experiences, on average, four major flood events per decade, highlighting the urgent need for improved flood management and mitigation strategies to protect lives and property.

–IANS

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