Japan K Pathak, Gandhinagar: How foreigners portrayed the Maha Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj 144 years ago in 1881-1882? They portrayed it not at all through spiritual angle. Three news reports found from the year 1882 suggest westeners' attempt of critically viewing the grand religious gathering. A news report on Dr. Planck's visit to the Kumbh Mela discusses sanitation issues pertaining to this event. Dr. Planck was secretary in North Western Provinces (NWP) government. NWP was an administrative re...Read More

Japan K Pathak, Gandhinagar: Upcoming Dholera airport may start operations later this year exclusively by handling international air cargo operations through freighter flights/passenger flights. Dholera International Airport Company Limited(DIACL) intends to commence international air cargo oeprations in initial phase from June/July 2025. Upcoming Dholera airport is located at around two hours distance from the city of Ahmedabad. The works for construction of a greenfield expressway to Dholer...Read More

Japan K Pathak What would strike in your mind when you hear the term 'Isha Yoga Center' of the Isha Foundation? Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Adiyogi statue, or those annual Mahashivratri celebrations. But once you visit the place, or stay there, the answers to this question shall also be 'peace,' 'tranquillity,' environment,'  'spiritual exploration,' 'simplicity,' 'culture,' and on the top of them all, 'service.'. Someone from an arid region of Gujarat, the first sight that attracted my att...Read More

Japan K Pathak વડોદરાના પૂર અંગેની શ્રેણીનો આ તાજો લેખ ગુજરાતીમાં લખવાનું ધાર્યું છે, કારણકે આમાં જનસામાન્યએ જાણવા-સમજવાની ઘણી વાતો છે કે જે ગુજરાતી ભાષામાં મૂકવાથી સરળતાથી સમજાઇ શકે. અગાઉના આ શ્�...Read More

Japan K Pathak Extremely heavy rainfall of around 12.44 inches in Vadodara coupled with very heavy rainfall of 7.51 inches in Halol on August 26 brought flood to the city of Vadodara. This was a 37 ft height flood, much higher than the floods in 2005, 2014 and 2019 in the city that were below 35.50 ft (at Kalaghoda bridge in Vishwamitri river in Vadodara). Due to this 37 ft height the flood waters travelled to more areas of city in more volume. 23 August IMD forecast on August 23 clearly ga...Read More

(The artwork above was created during the 2019 floods by the talented young designer Harshshiv Solanki, based in Vadodara) Japan K Pathak The year 2019 flood in Vadodara was a 34.50 ft level flood, a half a ft more than the 34 ft flood witnessed in 2014 monsoon. The city witnessed unprecedental nearly 20 inches rainfall in less than a day period. There was lack of specific alert for this rainfall from the IMD in advance. Extremely heavy rains in the city, coupled with very heavy rainfall of 7....Read More

Japan K Pathak In the first article's first paragraph only in this series I suggested that the citizens and the city managers of Vadodara must realize that it's a flood-prone and vulnerable place in monsoons. Look at the example of the year 2014. Vishwamitri river flooded Vadodara city in September for roughly over two days and it came as a surprise. In 2014, Vadodara had minus 96% rainfall compared to average in the month of June. In July it was minus 15%, in August minus 48%, but in Sept...Read More

Japan K Pathak In the last article of this series, we read about the 1927 flood of the Vishwamitri River in Vadodara. Vishwamitri continued to flood the city on various occasions through the 20th century. As the overflow was limited to two days in most cases and death toll not significant, and much greater floods elsewhere in the country during the monsoon, the coverage of Vadodara floods remained limited to the local press. However, the floods in 1944, 1950, 1953, 1959, 1970, 1973, etc. can ...Read More

Japan K Pathak More articles of this series – Vishwamitri has long history of flooding Vadodara; Campbell in 1883 wrote that it ‘frequently overflows in monsoons’ Ajwa Dam was built based on annual average 39 inches rain in Vadodara; it’s now 42.24 inches and rising More Vishwamitri floods in Vadodara in 20th & 21st centuries; highest rain of June on record in 2005 caused first flood of century 2014 was a lackluster monsoon for Vadodara, but then came a surprise as Septem...Read More

જપન પાઠક વિશ્વામિત્રી નદીનો છલકાવવાનો અને ચોમાસામાં અતિ વધુ વરસાદના કિસ્સામાં પૂર લાવવાનો સ્વભાવ કેમ્પબેલના લખાણોમાં સારી પેઠે વર્ણવાયો છે. કેમ્પબેલે બોમ્બે પ્રેસિડેન્સીના ગેઝેટીયર્�...Read More