Gujarat floods: More than 1,500 people evacuated after water level of Sabarmati rises dramatically

More than 1,500 people, including 500 people from the city, were evacuated to safer locations due to sudden floods in the Sabarmati river after water was released from the Dharoi dam, officials said here on Thursday. Sabarmati river's water level dramatically rose after 2.5 lakh cusecs of water was released into the river from the Dharoi dam in Mehsana district in north Gujarat yesterday morning, due to heavy rainfall there.

Since Sabarmati river passes through the city, the large water innundated the city's low lying areas of Chandrabhaga near the Sabarmati Ashram, officials said. As water level increased slowly, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) evacuated people living in that area since last evening.

"It takes at least 12 hours to 14 hours for water to reach here from Dharoi. As soon as water reached Chandrabhaga, we began shifting families to nearby areas. Until today, we shifted around 500 people," West Zone Deputy Commissioner R B Barad said.

Flood waters also reached lower walkways of the Sabarmati riverfront at night.

"Flood waters submerged lower walkways of the Sabarmati Riverfront. Normally, this river handles around 1.8 cusec of water. This is the first time when such a large amount of water was released in one instance after the riverfront was built," Barad said, adding that water has started receding. Elsewhere in Dholka taluka of this district, the local administration has swung into action after learning about the release of water and started an evacuation process before flood waters reach there, an official press release stated.

Around 1,000 locals of 13 villages situated near the banks of the Sabarmati river were shifted to safer locations early today morning. Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama visited these villages today and asked the local administration to distribute cash doles at the earliest, the release stated.