Severe Floods in Vadodara: Siddharth Bungalow Submerged, Residents Struggle Without Milk

Yesterday’s rainfall of about 12 inches in Vadodara city has severely deteriorated the situation. Many areas across the city, from east to west, have been submerged. The situation worsened further as the water level of the Vishwamitri River, which flows through the city’s center, reached 34 feet. From expensive bungalows to slums, everything in Vadodara has been flooded. An NDRF team is currently operating in the Dabhoi taluka of Vadodara. If necessary, the army will be called for rescue operations due to the out-of-control situation. Currently, 1 NDRF team and 2 SDRF teams are engaged in rescue operations in Vadodara.

Deteriorated Road Conditions and Challenges for Citizens

Several roads in the city are in poor condition, with issues like holding boards and overflowing gutters being visible. Some people are forced to wade through water to go to work, while others are walking kilometers through water to buy milk. Due to the heavy rain, some vehicle owners, unable to find a solution, were forced to park their vehicles on 2-foot high dividers and walk home.

Ground Report on Vadodara’s Situation

Divya Bhaskar has prepared a ground report on the condition of Vadodara and the difficulties faced by the citizens. The report tries to understand the challenges people faced day and night.

Siddharth Bungalows Submerged, Signs of Disaster

The Siddharth Bungalows on Sama Savli Road in the city have been submerged, with each floor getting flooded, causing significant inconvenience to the residents. People have moved their belongings to the upper floors, but if the water rises to the first floor, it could be disastrous for them. Additionally, the road from Kalaghoda Bridge to Sayaji Hospital has been submerged. Water has also overflowed onto the Jail Road from Kalaghoda Bridge, making it difficult for people heading to the station.

Heavy Flooding in Vishwamitri River

The rain in Vadodara has ceased today, but water is continuously being released into the Vishwamitri River from the Ajwa Dam due to the upstream water flow. This has caused the water level in the Vishwamitri River to rise to 34 feet, creating a severe flood situation, especially for people living in the riverside areas.

Waiting for Relief from Difficulties

So far, around 3,000 people have been relocated within the city. Yesterday, water entered the slums, and today, water has flooded the Siddharth Bungalows on Sama Savli Road. Flooding in these bungalows during every flood has become a recurring issue, causing severe inconvenience to the residents. Their belongings have been soaked, and entire floors have been submerged. Now, people are hoping for the water to recede soon and bring an end to their troubles.

Vishwanath Mahadev Temple Also Submerged

In addition, the Kashi Vishwanath Mahadev Temple in Vadodara city has also been submerged, causing difficulties for the devotees visiting the temple. Some devotees offered their prayers from outside the temple and performed the Aarti outside to express their devotion.

Rush to Buy Milk and Vegetables

Due to the flood situation in the city, there was a rush to buy milk and vegetables from the early morning. Normally, the vegetable market in Vadodara city opens in the evening, but today it opened early in the morning, and people crowded to buy vegetables.

Politicians Are Playing Their Own Game: Hitesh Patel

Hiteshbhai Patel, a resident of Siddharth Bungalows, said in an exclusive interview with Divya Bhaskar that he lives in Siddharth Bungalows with his family, and their house is located at A-3-42. Every time there is a flood, this much water gets accumulated. We live in a duplex, so we move to the upper floor. However, what happens to the single-story houses in the rear? This problem has no permanent solution. Politicians are playing their own game, and no one is interested in solving the problem. This problem has persisted for many years, but no solution has been found. We demand that this problem be resolved as soon as possible.

Hiteshbhai’s nephew, Tushar Bhatt, mentioned that this time the water level is higher, and the ground floor of his uncle’s house has been submerged. Even though their house is at a height, this situation has arisen. The situation in Siddharth Bungalows is currently very bad.

Spent the Entire Night Without Eating or Drinking: Amrutbhai

Amrutbhai Vaghela, who was at his in-laws’ house in Ramdevpir Chali in the Karelibaug area, said that he lives in Tulsivadi and had come to his in-laws’ house. They spent the entire night without eating or drinking and could not sleep. The water was rising continuously, making them worry that water could enter the house at any moment. Water has entered the house up to a level that could drown a person, so they spent the entire night awake on the rooftop.

Roads from Jetalpur Bridge to Jail Road Are Flooded

Trader Sanjaybhai Gandhi said that he runs a sevusal business. He was going from Gotri Sevasi to Khanderao Market to buy vegetables. However, the road from Jetalpur Bridge to Jail Road was flooded. His bike got stuck in the water, and he was unable to continue. He left home early in the morning but hasn’t reached Khanderao Market even after an hour. He appealed to people not to use these roads as they are very difficult to navigate.

People Offered Prayers from Outside the Flooded Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Rameshbhai Patel, who had come to offer prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Mahadev Temple near Lalbaug in Vadodara, said that they come here daily to offer prayers at Kashi Vishwanath Mahadev. Despite the flood situation, they came to offer prayers today and did so from outside as the temple was flooded, making it impossible to go inside. They performed the Aarti outside the temple to express their devotion.

People Removing Filth from Their Homes

In the Sukhdham Society in the eastern part of the city, water levels were still high, comparable to an airport. Some people were seen removing filth from their homes. Further along, near Sardar Estate Crossroads, water was still visible, and barricades set up for bridge work were floating in the water. The roads leading to Khodiyar Nagar were also in poor condition, with damaged roads and fallen barricades.

Vehicles Piled Up

Moving further, the situation in Sandeep Nagar was similar, with two-wheelers, four-wheelers, and other vehicles piled up on the roads. The VIP Road near the airport circle was still flooded due to drainage issues, and knee-deep water was visible in the surrounding areas. Some barricades at the airport circle had also fallen.

Forced to Tow Vehicles

Local resident Sanjay Prajapati mentioned that his two-wheeler broke down in yesterday’s rain, and he had to leave it somewhere else. He was now going with the help of another vehicle to retrieve it. As his vehicle had broken down, he was forced to tow it back. Jigneshbhai, who lives in Siddhivinayak Society on VIP Road, said that the water inside has reduced, but he had come out to get milk. The situation outside is bad, so they checked for milk elsewhere but couldn’t find any, so they came here. Yesterday, knee-deep water had flooded their house. The water has receded now, but the vehicle is still in the water outside.

Four Feet of Water in Shop: Arjunbhai

Arjunbhai, a trader in Khodiyar Nagar who sells old wooden furniture, said that a lot of water had accumulated yesterday, and all the waste had entered the shops. There was about four feet of water yesterday, soaking all the furniture, and a lot of waste came in, leaving everything in disarray. There has been a loss of ₹50,000, and there is still water.

River Water Now Overflowing

Many societies in the eastern part of the city are still submerged. The condition of the roads is critical, and water has even entered some grocery stores in certain areas, causing losses to traders. On the other hand, the water level of the Vishwamitri River is continuously rising, causing the river water to overflow into nearby areas. If it continues to rain, the situation in Vadodara could worsen further.

French Well Failure Leads to Water Issues in Vadodara

Due to the flood situation in the Mahi Sagar River near Vadodara, the French well controlled by the Vadodara Corporation failed, leading to water problems in the city. The flood in the Vishwamitri River passing through Vadodara also caused water supply issues throughout the city. As the corporation could not provide water, people were forced to drink rainwater during the ongoing Magha Nakshatra.