Vadodara, Oct 18 (IANS): The Gujarat government has allocated Rs 100 crore for flood relief across the state, with 75 per cent of the funds distributed to the flood-affected victims of Vadodara.
“The administration surveyed approximately 1,600 societies in 13 flood-impacted wards of Vadodara and has disbursed Rs 74.37 crore so far. This marks a significant increase compared to the Rs 14.4 crore distributed during the 2019 floods. The relief efforts have seen a fivefold rise in assistance in 2024,” an official said.
In 2019, 328,550 individuals in Vadodara’s urban areas received Rs 5.57 crore in cash relief. However, the 2024 flood response has been far more extensive, with Rs 9.88 crore in cash distributed to 360,008 affected people. Similarly, rural relief efforts saw Rs 52 lakh distributed to 25,324 people, compared to Rs 22 lakh provided to 12,732 people in 2019.
Household relief also saw a substantial increase. In 2024, Rs 35.72 crore was distributed to flood-impacted households in Vadodara, compared to Rs 14.36 crore in 2019. Additionally, ?4.94 crore in aid was provided to rural families for household losses.
"One major improvement in 2024 was the inclusion of small businesses and commercial units in the relief efforts. As a result, 12,027 flood-affected businesses received Rs 23.31 crore in compensation, a significant step towards helping local businesses recover from the disaster," the official said.
This month, the Central Water Commission (CWC) also arrived in Vadodara to investigate and devise long-term flood prevention strategies. The CWC teams, stationed in Vadodara for the past four days, have collected crucial rainfall and flood patterns data over the last 25 years. This comprehensive data collection is expected to assist in planning future flood mitigation efforts.
The teams also inspected the Ajwa and Pratappura lakes and the Vishwamitri River, which played a significant role in the recent flooding. In a meeting chaired by former Union Secretary, state officials discussed vital projects, including the proposed Vishwamitri project. The aim is to ensure that such devastating floods do not occur again.
Officials said that the steps suggested by the CWC will help Vadodara become better equipped to handle potential future floods.