Illegal structures cause flood, create reptile scare

Vadodara: Barodians would love to sweat it out in the harsh summers than to battle the flood woes which monsoon pours on them annually. Thousands of citizens staying on the banks of Vishwamitri River literally live on the edge for the entire rainy season as even a few heavy showers throw their life out of gear for days.
Thanks to the lack of urban planning and Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s (VMC) negligence, a number of residential colonies that have come up along the riverbanks get flooded after heavy rains. So much so, that many a resident here has now preferred to migrate to other safer locations if it starts raining too heavily.
“First drop of monsoon and I start to stock up on essential items. Our colony is located right next to Vishwamitri River and when it rains, water flows right into our area. We often get stranded in our home for days and fire officials have to bring in boats to rescue us,” said Dimple Pancholi, a resident of Siddharth Bungalows in Sama area.
More than waters, residents of Siddharth Bungalows are scared of what the floods bring with it — snakes and crocodiles — that often swim into their colony. “I have spotted crocodiles swimming right next to my house during floods,” Pancholi, a professional photographer, said.
A wall was built around Siddharth Bungalows to prevent the river water flowing into the colony but it too got washed away in 2019 floods.
The 26km-stretch of the river that flows through the city is home to at least 270 crocodiles and it is densely populated with reptiles between Fatehgunj and Sayajigunj area.
Environmentalists, who have been working to save the river, however, claim that most constructions near the riverbank are illegal.
“Having concrete structures near the river damage the ecosystem and also cause flooding in other areas as they restrict the natural flow of the river. According to the rules, one has to keep nine metres distance from the river’s floodplain while constructing anything. But many concrete buildings have come up very close to the river. It’s an invited flood,” said Rohit Prajapati, environment activist who has approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for saving the river.
Talking about solutions, Prajapati said, “One of the first things is to remove some of the concrete construction that has come up on the river bank. The NGT too has said in its order to remove unauthorized structures near the river bank. Then authorities have to do river mapping and ensure that no fresh construction comes up near the river in future.”