Residents in Vadodara woke up to a frightful morning on Wednesday when waters from the Vishwamitri river started gushing into some low-lying areas of the city forcing evacuation of thousands of people.
Over 22,289 from Vadodara city and rural areas were relocated to relief camps set up in the city with the rising level of the Vishwamitri threatening several residential areas. The river was flowing well about the danger level of 26 feet. The only good news for the people and the administration is that the level which had touched 34 feet in the morning remained stable after the release of water from the Ajwa dam was stopped.
“We were reluctant to move out of our houses but had no option as the water was gushing inside our house,’’ said Rajendrabhai Solanki, a resident of Pursorambhatta. He has been shifted to a municipal school in Sayajigunj where he has taken refuge with his family of five. As many as 550 people were shifted to this school from different parts of of Sayajigunj and Parsorambhatta. “We have lost all our belongings and it will take a long time to pick up the pieces to get back to a normal life,’’ said Ranjanaben Solanki.
Meanwhile, in the Kamtaipura area, it was some volunteers from nearby areas who were reaching out to the flood affected. “We cannot keep waiting in hope for relief material to arrive, so we have opened a community kitchen and serving people from here, as there are scores of children who have been going without food,’’ said Mansur Khan, one of the volunteers.
The last time Vadodara had witnessed such floods was 12 years ago, when water was released into Vishwamitri. With schools and colleges remaining shut on Wednedsay, the district administration has asked educational institutes and business establishments to shut doors on Thursday. People have been asked to keep a stock of essential food items.