Vadodara: Heavy rain pounded the city on Friday morning, leading to waterlogging in several areas for a few hours. Officials said the city received nearly two inches of rainfall within a span of just two hours.With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) having issued a red alert, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) had already activated its emergency response.While the rain subsided briefly during the day, intense showers returned in the evening. Two dilapidated houses collapsed in the old city, though no injuries were reported. Debris from one of the collapsed structures damaged a two-wheeler and an autorickshaw near Yakutpura.VMC appealed to residents living in low-lying areas, including Tarsali, Navayard, Kishanwadi, Panigate, Sayajigunj and Karelibaug, to shift to safer locations as a precaution. Civic officials said they received nine emergency calls on Friday, including reports of fallen trees and collapsed houses.Municipal commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu visited the command and control centre and inspected areas near Pandya Bridge. He said that water levels in Ajwa lake and Vishwamitri river remained below the danger mark.In Bhayli and Bil, where stormwater drainage infrastructure is yet to be completed, VMC deployed pumps to remove accumulated rainwater. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and quick response teams (QRTs) were kept on standby for rescue and relief operations.A dedicated VMC team monitored conditions across the city through 2,200 CCTV cameras from the command and control centre, while an additional 25-member emergency team was deployed to respond to distress calls. The civic body also identified 216 waterlogging-prone locations where pumps will be installed to facilitate faster drainage of rainwater.
