Surat: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has completed survey work covering 180 kilometres of the city’s 188-kilometre creek network as part of ongoing efforts to prevent flooding, officials said on Monday.The update was shared during the weekly meeting of the special committee constituted to review creek flood mitigation measures in the city.Officials said a comprehensive LiDAR survey and other technical assessments are underway to prepare a detailed project report (DPR), including a hydrology model, for flood mitigation works along the creeks.The technical expert team informed the committee that Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) and drone surveys had been completed for the 180 kilometres covered so far.Two major proposals were discussed during the meeting. The first was on water retention or diversion measures to address siltation in the creek network. As part of the proposal, the surveying agency has completed a digital survey of around 330 acres at the Biodiversity Park site along the creek in Bamroli.The second proposal involves changing the existing flow route of Varachha creek by diverting its water directly into the Tapi river through the floodgate beneath the Chikuwadi Kalakunj river bridge, instead of routing it towards Koyali creek.Municipal commissioner M Nagarajan directed officials to prepare and present detailed plans for both the proposals.The meeting comes amid concerns raised by residents of areas affected by creek flooding. Residents have alleged that encroachments and the merger of creeks in the past under the Tapi Shuddhikaran Project have contributed to flooding. They have also demanded that documents related to decisions on creek mergers be made public.The committee was further informed that several important datasets are awaiting approval from the competent authority and are expected to be made available within two days for further assessment. These include outlet details near the National Highway, bridge data for various canals, structural information related to Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation (DFCC) works and structural details of the Surat-Mumbai Expressway.Meanwhile, the irrigation department has started widening the canal downstream of Althan bridge. The committee has sought weekly progress reports on the work.Surveys in two of the five non-town planning areas of Budiya and Jiyav have also been completed. Authorities have been directed to complete surveys in the remaining three areas at the earliest.
