Vadodara: The marooning of parts of the city on the western side of the Vishwamitri river should not come as a surprise. Centuries ago, the residents of these areas seem to have understood the perils of staying there and had gradually shifted to the eastern parts of the city. In the last few decades, these areas on the western side of the river witnessed fast-paced growth that seems to have returned to haunt them now.
Akota and its surrounding areas like Old Padra Road, Mujmahuda, Jetalpur Road and others faced the first flooding since the time these areas witnessed development. Ankotakka, or present-day Akota, was the first settlement that gained prominence in the region and was a flourishing centre which had links even with the Romans. It is believed to have come up around 2,200 years back and developed into a prosperous town.
Vadpadrak, from which the city derives its name, was a mere suburb across the river which did not gain prominence till the end of the 11th century, says prominent archaeologist R N Mehta in his book ‘Vadodara – Ek Adhyayan’. The mention of Ankotakka at various places goes down significantly in the second half of the 11th century even as Vadpadrak, settled around the present Kothi area, started developing. “The residents started moving to Vadpadrak from Ankotakka or Akota which may have started dying gradually,” said architect and co-convenor of INTACH, Gujarat, Sanjiv Joshi.
Joshi observes that the Walled City was planned even far away from .