Sabarmati river with debris Sabarmati River Ahmedabad (jignesh Parmar story),Monday,21,September, Photo Yogesh Chawda
Earlier, the Vasna Barrage level could be maintained at 128-130 feet while allowing stormwater to drain smoothly. Now, authorities need to lower it to around 125-126 feet during heavy rain. If the level remains above 128 feet, drainage lines in western Ahmedabad can back up, worsening waterlogging.
Water released from upstream over the past decade has also carried sand, silt and waste into the river, which gradually settles on the riverbed and eats into the storage capacity, said an AMC official. The senior AMC official said water released from the Narmada canal or flowing downstream after upstream rainfall naturally carries silt and debris.
Sources said the decline in carrying capacity has become particularly significant during intense rainfall. During the pre-monsoon cleaning drive this year, debris was found scattered across several stretches of the riverbed, but no major removal operation was undertaken.
On Sep 17, AMC and the irrigation department released water, taking the Vasna Barrage level to 135 feet by 8am on Sep 18. More than 200 complaints were received. Two episodes during this year’s monsoon exposed the consequences of failing to lower the Sabarmati river level before intense rainfall. Heavy rain between 8am and 10am triggered severe waterlogging in Navrangpura, Paldi, Vasna, Vadaj, Dudheshwar, Kalupur, Maktampura and Sarkhej. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Ahmedabad | Silver Rate in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Petrol Price in Ahmedabad | Diesel Price in Ahmedabad | CNG Price in Ahmedabad | LPG Price in Ahmedabad