VMC completes 35% of flood mitigation work

Vadodara: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has completed around 35% of work in the ongoing flood mitigation project, which includes dredging the Vishwamitri river, stormwater drains, ponds and reservoirs across the city.
Launched in Feb as a measure to prevent flooding, the civic body's plan focuses on increasing the water carrying and storage capacity of key water bodies. The most significant component of the project — resectioning of the Vishwamitri river — began in March and involves dredging to expand the river's capacity.
Outgoing VMC commissioner Dilip Kumar Rana, who has been transferred but remains in office for now, said the work is on track for completion by the end of May or early June. Addressing reporters, he said about 14 lakh cubic metres of soil, silt, and debris have been removed so far, including from the newly dug pond at Dena.
Rana also emphasized that the transition in leadership will not hamper the project. "We have a robust system and a good team in place to ensure that the work is completed in time," he said.
The resectioning work on one bank of the Vishwamitri has already doubled its width. "Once work on the other side is complete, the river will be widened further, enhancing its capacity significantly," he added.