Vadodara: During the all-stakeholder meeting for the Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation project held on Friday, the installation of an “intelligent flood warning system” in Vadodara, similar to the one implemented in Chennai in 2019, was among the immediate actions discussed.

VMC Standing Committee Chairman Dr. Sheetal Mistry informed the media that the meeting aimed to outline a plan for the Vishwamitri project’s implementation and identify both long-term and short-term objectives.

The consultancy firm Secon, which is involved in flood mapping, presented its findings and recommended the installation of the intelligent flood warning system that Chennai adopted after the 2015 floods. This technology allows for area-specific flood predictions and has proven to be transformative for Chennai.

Given the historical pattern of flooding in the Vishwamitri region, the recommendations from all stakeholders are being considered to implement immediate measures to alleviate flooding while the long-term project progresses. Three-pronged approaches were also discussed during the meeting, focusing on engineering solutions, rainwater recharge, and beautifying specific areas along the river intersections in Vadodara.

Mistry stated, “We talked about how rainwater harvesting could assist in managing heavy water inflows, along with the construction of two barrages near Kala Ghoda and Vadsar, which could serve as recreational spots for a sustainable initiative. Additionally, multipurpose lakes could be created along the Vishwamitri that remain dry in summer and can support other activities.”

Mistry noted that the engineering solutions under consideration include diverting 17,000 cusecs of water from the Vishwamitri to Mini River from Sandvo Khedwa Kotar (pond) at the junction of Samilaya and Vadadla in Vadodara rural by constructing a 4.2-kilometer canal and executing approximately 26 kilometers of resectioning downstream in Mini.

This meeting took place at the Vadodara circuit house and was chaired by Chief Whip of the Legislative Assembly and Raopura MLA Balkrishna Shukla. Attendees included Vadodara Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dilip Rana, MP Hemang Joshi, environmentalists Neha Sarwate and Jitendra Gavli, along with consultants involved in the Vishwamitri project since 2015 and other delegates. DeshGujarat