Ahmedabad, July 24 (IANS) The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) plans to invite tenders worth around Rs 900 crore for permanent stormwater drainage works in newly merged panchayat areas and the city’s western suburbs after record rainfall exposed the need for stronger drainage infrastructure, Gujarat’s Minister-in-Charge for Ahmedabad district, Rushikesh Patel, said on Friday.
Patel announced this after he and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited rain-hit localities, including Ambli and Ghuma, to assess the impact of the heavy rainfall that lashed Ahmedabad over the past two days.
He said two zones of the city received record-breaking rainfall within a very short period, resulting in water taking longer than usual to drain despite existing infrastructure.
“AMC teams, the Mayor, administrative officials and the concerned agencies have made all necessary arrangements for water drainage. Arrangements have been made so that water recedes from most parts of the city by 6 pm today and citizens do not face inconvenience,” Patel said.
The minister said flooding at previously identified black spots had reduced compared with the past. Still, Ahmedabad’s expansion and the inclusion of former gram panchayat areas into the municipal limits had created the need for a comprehensive drainage network.
He announced that tenders worth approximately Rs 900 crore would soon be issued for permanent drainage works in the newly merged panchayat areas, western localities including Bopal and Ghuma, and along drainage lines connected to the S.P. Ring Road to improve rainwater discharge.
Addressing concerns over road cave-ins, Patel said such incidents were technical in nature and repair work was being carried out on priority.
“AMC was also working to ensure similar issues do not occur on newly constructed roads. With the India Meteorological Department issuing a red alert, the administration was fully prepared with additional arrangements for water drainage if required,” he noted.
According to the administration, Ahmedabad recorded an average rainfall of 18.42 inches, prompting the opening of all 22 gates of the Vasna Barrage.
Across the city, 245 pumps at 42 stormwater pumping stations and 305 pumps at 83 drainage pumping stations were operating at full capacity.
At a meeting of the AMC Standing Committee on Friday, chairman Kamlesh Patel said the city had received exceptionally heavy rainfall over the previous 36 hours and that complaints of waterlogging had been received from 126 residential societies.
Water had been drained from 52 of them, while work was continuing in the remaining societies. “AMC had identified 148 waterlogging locations across the city for priority action. Water had been completely cleared from 52 locations, while systematic operations were continuing at the remaining sites,” he said.
Patel said the most challenging conditions occurred on July 23 when the North-West and South-West zones received exceptionally heavy rainfall within 24 hours, leading to flooding in low-lying areas.
Around 40 Varun pumps had been deployed across all seven municipal zones, with additional pumps to be arranged if needed.
“South-West Zone recorded the highest average rainfall at 458.33 mm, followed by the North-West Zone with 395.21 mm, Central Zone with 373.38 mm, West Zone with 346.79 mm, North Zone with 276.70 mm, South Zone with 274.13 mm and East Zone with 217.13 mm. The highest rainfall was recorded in Bopal at 504.3 mm, exceeding 20 inches,” Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani said.
Officials said 173 complaints of fallen trees and 46 complaints related to streetlights had been received and were being attended to. Conditions at the city’s underpasses had improved considerably.
More than 11 underpasses were closed at the height of the rainfall, but by Thursday only the Chandlodia underpass remained shut. BRTS and AMTS services were operating normally in most parts of the city, except in a few waterlogged stretches.
Pani added that “Bopal and Ghuma still depended on the old stormwater network dating back to their gram panchayat days and that additional infrastructure would be developed there in the future”.
With more heavy rainfall forecast, the civic administration said precautionary measures remained in place.
Schools, colleges and anganwadis have been closed, while residents have been advised to work from home wherever possible, avoid unnecessary travel and follow civic advisories.
–IANS
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