30-inch rainfall but no waterlogging: Shah’s target for flood-plagued areas of Ahmedabad

In Ahmedabad, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah addressed the people of Bopal, Ambli, Ghuma, and Sarkhej, promising to implement measures to prevent water from entering homes even if there were 30 inches of rainfall. Shah mentioned this at a Lok Darbar event held in the region, which had experienced significant flooding last week of July.

The areas of Bopal, Ambli, and Ghuma are situated within Shah's Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, while Ghuma is part of Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot's Thaltej ward and Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel's Ghatlodia constituency.

Shah claimed that the administration's arrangements were insufficient to prevent waterlogging, despite the rainfall amounting to 21-22 inches, which had not occurred in the last 50 years. Despite the event being tightly controlled by the BJP, only three out of nine speakers raised concerns about the flooding that forced the deployment of firefighters, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the police for rescue and aid purposes.

Two speakers, Bhadresh Bhatt and Kunjan Soni, criticized the administration for the lack of drainage pipelines and insufficient Narmada water supply. Bhatt suggested that the chairman and secretary of societies should be involved in planning and setting up the pipeline network and pumping stations. Soni pointed out the Narmada water's inadequacy to meet the population's demands, alongside the backed-up drainage lines and the need for additional stormwater lines.

In response to the criticism, Shah reassured the audience that the planning for the flood-prevention measures began the day after the water receded. He claimed sole responsibility for ensuring the implementation of these measures, stating that he had been their representative for 30 years and that their votes had continually increased under his leadership.

Shah also mentioned that the Congress had not garnered any votes in the area, comparing it to a 'lotus' with no mud or dirt. He reiterated the administration's acceptance of the excessive rainfall and emphasized that if the rainfall exceeds 30 inches in the future, additional arrangements must be made to address any potential waterlogging.