Vadodara: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has announced a major project to reroute the Bhukhi drain in the Chhani and Nizampura areas to mitigate the risk of flooding, particularly after severe flooding occurred during the last monsoon season. The project will cost a total of ₹47.19 crore (approximately $5.7 million USD).

The project is divided into two phases:

North Zone (Chhani and Nizampura):** ₹39.77 crore (approximately $4.8 million USD) will be allocated to reroute the Bhukhi drain from the canal in the northern zone, specifically from Chhani Jakatnaka to the Nizampura crematorium. This section of the drain, which originates near Sokhda village and flows into the Vishwamitri River near Kalaghoda, is a natural drain that has been partially concreted in some areas. The heavy inflow of rainwater from Sokhda towards the highway caused significant flooding issues last monsoon.

To address this, the VMC plans to reroute a 3-kilometer stretch of the drain. The project management consultant has conducted a detailed survey, and it has been approved to construct a 1550-meter long, 4.5-meter wide, and 3-meter deep covered RCC channel from Jakatnaka to the Nizampura crematorium. This may require demolishing an existing paved road under the guarantee period. The gross estimated cost for this section was ₹27.32 crore, but the net estimated cost was ₹21.66 crore. A bid from Shivalay Infrastructure Projects Pvt. Ltd. was accepted at ₹21.14 crore, which was 2.39% lower than the net estimate.

South Zone:** ₹7.42 crore (approximately $900,000 USD) will be spent on re-sectioning and desilting the drain in the southern zone.

The VMC hopes that this project will prevent future flooding and improve the drainage system in the affected areas. The rerouting of the Bhukhi drain is a crucial step towards ensuring the safety and well-being of Vadodara residents during the monsoon season.