Vadodara: The recent floods in the Vishwamitri river caused havoc and submerged a major part of the city, leaving the citizens disenchanted. For the first time, a group of citizens came together with a common goal – to educate people about the reasons behind the frequent flooding of the river. The Vishwamitri river walk will be part of the heritage week festival organised in November every year to celebrate the city's birth anniversary.
"The river is an important part of our ecosystem, but not many citizens know about its origin and the issues related to its flooding. So, we will be organising a river walk where the visitors will be shown the ravines and the areas along the river," said Chandrashekhar Patil, organiser of the People's Heritage Festival. "We will explain why the river is shallow and the reasons behind frequent flooding.
Apart from its ravines disappearing due to urban development, encroachments are also one of the reason for the damage to the river's ecosystem. Barodians need to understand this so that they can come up with a solution. The extremely polluted water is also a cause for concern," Patil told TOI.
The heritage festival will take off on Nov 18, and a series of events, exhibitions, and heritage activities will be organised during the week. Also on the cards is a food walk where foodies from the city can tickle their taste buds around the Sursagar Lake. Many Barodians will display their priceless collections of photographs, video games, antique items.
