Japan K Pathak, Ahmedabad

In year 2006, 2.25 to 3 lakh cusec water was released from Dharoi dam during monsoon due to continuous rainfall in Rajasthan. Gautam was municipal commissioner at that time, while D Thara, the present municipal commissioner was district collector.

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation(AMC) had set up a control room at Sanskar Kendra(even today, it’s there only). I was working in Gujarat Samachar and my newspaper had deployed me there. Water level was to rise late in the evening. There was crowd at Sardar bridge because some dogs were trapped in flood water. There was some land on higher side next to the bridge due to ongoing riverfront construction. Dogs were there. Fire brigade team went to river to rescue the dogs. There were already many people there to witness the river as it was Janmashtami holiday. These dogs gathered more people. Fire Brigade Chief Dastoor was there. I remember I talked to him and reported this operation next day in newspaper.

Worth mentioning that a mobile crane of traffic police was continuously moving on bridges to take away vehicles blocking traffic.

At control room, ministers Anandiben Patel and Amit Shah both were present. I was sitting next to them for couple of hours at least. I observed that they didn’t talk to each other during the entire period they were there. Next day I reported this in casual manner in lighter gossip column, and I remember this sparked off a series of news items later on different occasions suggesting so called rift between two leaders. It’s still continuing in print.

Though sirens were sounding on regular intervals, and water level was going up, Gramophone Club in Ahmedabad continued its entertainment event in Tagore hall, located just next to the control room and also next to the river Sabarmati. Municipal Commissioner sent officers to auditorium to instruct that the event should discontinue.

Collector had released SMS alert for all people who stay in river bed to all the mobile phones in city.

Only part of the city that witnessed flood was low lying slum in Vadaj area. Hundreds of people living in this big slum pocket were shifted to safer place. Their houses, shops were partially submerged in river Sabarmati. This particular slum pocket needs permanent relocation as it is located in extremely low lying area parallel to river bed.

Other areas that saw intrusion of river water were back side part of NID campus and main road between NID campus and Chandranagar.

The control room was busy and functional even after midnight, and there was only one nearby shop serving cold drink, wafers ,pouch of water etc. It’s there next to NID. Police jeep came there and forced closure. As soon as persons in AMC control room knew about it, they intervened and asked police to let the shop remain open.

Next day morning hundreds of slum dewellers from Vadaj and river bank areas(mainly behind VS hospital and Tagore hall, Khanpur and Shahpur, behind NID) were relocated to schools. I remember Divan Ballubhai school in Paldi had refused to give shelter to affected slum dewellers. Former Mayor Amit Shah had expressed anger in this connection at school campus.

I remember fire brigade operating boats in Vadaj slum, and some people who had not moved sitting atop roof tops. I remember huge rush of people at Vasna barrage site to witness flood water release. There was traffic jam on connecting roads.

Helicopter was continuously flying over river to rescue if someone fall in river but fortunately nothing like this happened.

To sum up, this time the situation is different. Water released from Dharoi dam is lesser(upto 1.5 lakh cusec). AMC has already released water from Vasna barrage to increase carrying capacity of Ahmedabad stretch of river Sabarmati. Due to riverfront there are no slum units on the bank of river Sabarmati anymore.

Barring Vadaj slum, no other area is threatened in today’s condition. This I can say based on my 2006 experience. If released water is lesser than we understand, even Vadaj slum will not be affected much.

Yes, 29 villages in downstream areas may receive flood water on location next to the river bank, but not beyond that.

(Photos clicked by me are attached to this article. These slums are no more there, thanks to Sabarmati riverfront project.)

– DeshGujarat