Ahmedabad Sees Waterlogging Twice In September, Officials Told To Fix Drainage Before Next Monsoon

Ahmedabad witnessed widespread waterlogging for the second time in September after the city received an average 2.88 inches of rain between 6 am and 6 pm on Friday. Several areas remained waterlogged for hours, with 13 of the 41 waterlogging complaints still pending even 10 hours after the rain.

The situation has put civic authorities under pressure, with Mayor Hitesh Barot expressing displeasure over the delayed drainage of rainwater. The Standing Committee has now also directed officials to ensure that such a situation does not recur during the next monsoon.

Mayor directs officials to act

Mayor Hitesh Barot expressed his displeasure over the waterlogging situation after visiting different parts of the city.

He said he had been touring various areas since morning and had personally witnessed the difficulties faced by residents.

Following his visit, the municipal commissioner, deputy municipal commissioner and engineering department officials were instructed to take all necessary steps for the immediate removal of rainwater.

Officials explain delay in water drainage

The issue of waterlogging was also discussed during the Standing Committee meeting held on Friday.

Officials from the engineering department said drainage lines were already filled with water when the rain started in the morning, which slowed the discharge of rainwater.

They also said the delay in opening the gates of the Vasna barrage on the Sabarmati River affected the drainage process.

Officials told to complete work in 10 months

Standing Committee chairman Kamlesh Patel said officials had been clearly instructed to ensure that such a situation does not occur again before the next monsoon.

He said there were still 10 months available and the required work should be completed within this period.

Patel said complaints had been received about the Pirana STP and some other pumping stations being shut. However, officials accepted that only the Tejendra Park pumping station was not operational.

13 of 41 waterlogging complaints pending

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation received 41 complaints related to waterlogging following Friday's rain.

• 28 complaints were resolved
• 13 complaints remained pending
• Several areas remained waterlogged even after the rain had stopped

The city also recorded 78 complaints related to fallen trees. Of these, 77 were resolved while one remained pending.

CCTV cameras planned at 147 waterlogging spots

The Standing Committee has directed the civic body to install CCTV cameras at 147 identified waterlogging spots across the city.

According to Kamlesh Patel, the monitoring of some locations was not being carried out properly during his visit to the control room.

The CCTV cameras will also help monitor whether municipal employees or workers are present at waterlogged locations when required.

Sabarmati water level reaches 136 feet

Officials said the water level in the Sabarmati River during the monsoon is generally maintained at around 128 to 130 feet. However, the level had reached 136 feet.

The barrage gates were opened to bring down the water level. Officials said the higher-than-usual water level in the river affected the speed at which rainwater could be drained.

The irrigation department and the municipal corporation coordinated to drain the water as quickly as possible.

Several areas receive more than 3 inches of rain

Several parts of Ahmedabad received between 3 and 5 inches of rain on Friday.

The recorded rainfall was:

• Sarkhej: 5.24 inches
• Bakrol: 4.41 inches
• Navrangpura: 4.37 inches
• Vasna: 4.25 inches
• Maktampura: 4.25 inches
• Sarkhej: 3.92 inches
• Kalupur: 3.80 inches
• Tagore Control: 3.72 inches
• Lambha: 3.66 inches
• Memnagar: 3.52 inches
• Chandlodia: 3.33 inches
• Dudheshwar: 3.25 inches
• Asarwa: 3.21 inches
• Gota: 3.15 inches
• Usmanpura: 3.13 inches
• Ranip: 3.13 inches
• Bodakdev: 3.05 inches
• Ognaj: 2.95 inches
• Jodhpur: 2.91 inches
• Bopal: 2.91 inches