Submerged Ahmedabad Facing Outrage: Mayor Hitesh Barot Confronted As Deluge Forces Residents Into Hotels

Widespread anger erupted across West Ahmedabad after torrential rainfall exceeding 11 inches on Thursday left thousands stranded, forcing desperate families to flee their waterlogged homes for hotels and relatives' houses. Four days after the deluge, civic authorities' failure to drain standing water in key areas like Bopal, Ghuma, Shela, Vejalpur, Sarkhej, and Juhapura triggered severe public resentment. The boiling frustration reached a head when Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Mayor Hitesh Barot visited Bhagwati Society and Harijanvas in Bopal village, where enraged residents publicly confronted him over delayed action.

While floodwaters finally began receding on Sunday following the high-profile civic visit, affected families remain trapped in miserable conditions, dealing with massive financial losses and ruined infrastructure.

Infrastructure Neglect Exposed As Residents Flee Submerged Homes

Local residents hit out at the municipal administration, pointing out a stark disconnect in civic priorities. While the corporation spends crores on infrastructure drives aimed at positioning the city for high-profile events like the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, core residential belts in West Ahmedabad are struggling with basic drainage.

In Shela’s Aakash Residency, several families packed up and vacated their flats to escape stagnant water, while those who stayed behind endured days without essential utilities. Essential services, including power, drinking water, and lifts, were only partially restored on Sunday.

Devastated homemakers voiced deep distress over the situation, noting that staying in hotels or with relatives has imposed a heavy financial burden with zero expectation of government compensation. To make matters worse, severe road cave-ins and massive sinkholes across these neighbourhoods have rendered streets impassable, leaving citizens unable to step out even for basic groceries.

Mayor Blames Opposition Protests While Locals Demean "PR Stunts"

Defending his administration's response, Mayor Hitesh Barot dismissed claims of widespread systemic failure, attributing the commotion during his visit to political rivals. Barot stated that standing water in the Jodhpur ward areas of Bopal village had been drained, alleging that a local Congress candidate stirred up trouble during his visit to create a scene. According to the Mayor, the overall situation is now under control and all necessary assistance has been extended to affected citizens.

However, residents brushed off official claims, expressing disdain for political leaders who they accuse of using natural disasters for self-promotion. Furious locals alleged that politicians regularly wade through flooded streets merely to capture videos and photos for social media sympathy. They argued that despite these annual photo opportunities, no permanent structural solutions are ever delivered, leaving citizens to face the same ordeal year after year.