Ahmedabad: Heavy rain once again left key thoroughfares in the city’s west severely waterlogged. As people living, having businesses in or commuting through spots like Anandnagar Road, Manekbaug Road, the 132-Feet Ring Road and Judge‘s Bungalow Road were majorly inconvenienced, the fault, sources said, lies with AMC and the state irrigation department.Authorities failed to open the Vasna Barrage gates in time to lower the water level in the Sabarmati River, which worsened the flooding in these areas. Water entered homes and shops, commuters faced vehicle breakdowns, and many were left stranded.Rain intensified on Thursday morning, battering the city and throwing life out of gear. Several waterlogged spots remained submerged until 5 pm.By 10 am, the water level at Vasna Barrage was 134 feet with only three gates open. By 11am level rose to 135.7 feet. It was not until 12.20pm that 15 gates were opened, which brought the level down to 129.5 feet, and eventually to 124.5 feet by 3pm, allowing flooded roads to clear.Sources said advance preparations could have prevented the waterlogging.The riverbed was dredged for the riverfront project. Until 2011, the riverbed was emptied and cleaned annually. No desilting or deepening plans were executed over the past five years, the sources said. This, they said, has reduced the river’s channel water storage capacity. When upstream rain forces dam releases into the Sabarmati during monsoons, the water carries sand and debris, further shallowing the riverbed.Experts said that if the water level at Vasna Barrage exceeds 128 feet, rainwater from adjoining western areas cannot discharge into the river, causing storm drains to back up. Heavy rainfall demands an immediate reduction of the barrage level.The main stormwater trunk and drainage lines run parallel to major thoroughfares like Ashram Road, 132-Feet Ring Road and SG Highway. When the barrage level remains above 134 feet, outlets near the river become submerged, preventing Ashram Road’s drainage lines from emptying into the Sabarmati. This cascade effect causes water to back up all the way to the 132-Feet Ring Road.Lowering the level at the barrage to 127 feet allows storm drains to discharge smoothly, they added. A similar crisis occurred during the July 2023 monsoon season. Following severe flooding in western areas that month, Ellisbridge MLA Amit Shah wrote to the then municipal commissioner, emphasising that keeping the water level at the barrage at 128 feet prevents waterlogging in key areas like Ellisbridge and Paldi.
