Vishwamitri riverfront project gets Gandhinagar push

VADODARA: With the role of multiple agencies expected in Vishwamitri riverfront project, the state government has taken up the task of seeing the project through. The action on the front to quite some extent is also taking place in Gandhinagar.
Technical advisor to the chief minister, B N Navlavala, has been holding meetings to coordinate efforts and push the project.The re-sectioning of the river is expected to be taken up on a priority basis to ensure that it does not flood the city again.
VMC commissioner Manish Bhardwaj said the master plan for the project was presented at the meeting on Monday. "Some corrections have been suggested in the master plan and we will be presenting it again in the first week of December at another meeting," he said.
While the consultant appointed to prepare the feasibility report for Vishwamitri project made the presentation at the meeting, it also discussed in depth the work that needed to be done for flood mitigation. "Photography and videography of the river during the floods was conducted this year. These were also presented at the meeting along with other flood data," said VMC standing committee chairman Hitendra Patel.
A major task that will be taken up as a part of flood mitigation is that of integrating the river with ponds. "This was a major deterrent for floods in the past. These ponds are now disconnected from the river. They will act as balancing reservoirs after being integrated with the river," Bhardwaj said.
The carrying capacity of the river will also be increased. "Various obstructions and encroachments along the river will be removed. We have already begun the process by razing slums along its bank. This will also take care of the need of large-scale relocation when the river swells," said Patel.