AHMEDABAD: The monsoon has unleashed not just floods, but also fury in rural Gujarat. Waterlogging, a nightmare once confined to cities, is now flooding fields and fuelling violence in the countryside. Recently, disputes over blocked drains and stagnant rainwater in Mandal, Vithlapur, and Kheda triggered bloody clashes, leaving dozens injured.With heavy rains drowning farmland and illegal constructions choking natural outlets, villagers are clashing over basics of survival.
Clash over drain leaves 15 injuredIn Mandal village near Ahmedabad, tensions flared when one family sought to open a drain to release rainwater from their property. The request led to a clash involving nearly 50 people. At least 15 villagers were injured, some with head wounds. “We only asked them not to open the drain, but they attacked us with pipes and sticks. They even threatened to kill us if we intervened again,” said Satish Nayak, who was hospitalised. His neighbour, Sagar Verma, however, claimed that the drain was opened without warning. “They opened it without informing us. When we objected to it, they started beating us. My wife and I were injured.”Similar tensions flared in Vithlapur, where two farming communities clashed over the right to use a water outlet for draining their fields. Amaratji Thakor, a farmer injured in the clash, said, “For years we have used this outlet to drain water from our fields, but now outsiders are blocking it. When we raised objections, the dispute turned violent.”Experts attribute this rising trend to a combination of factors. Recent heavy rains in North Gujarat and along the Sabarmati river have led to widespread waterlogging, particularly in low-lying agricultural areas. Additionally, illegal constructions and haphazard urban and rural development have blocked natural drainage paths, preventing rainwater from flowing freely.On the outskirts of Ahmedabad, projects along SG Road have further choked waterways. Civic officials admit that though artificial lakes are being planned, the crisis will persist unless encroachments and blocked drains are cleared.Environmental researchers warn that poorly planned infrastructure and encroachments on rivers and drainage lines are choking natural waterways. “Unchecked development has forced villagers to confront each other for access to water,” one expert said.For villagers like those in Mandal and Vithlapur, the issue is not merely about drainage; it is about survival. “We are caught between floods and failed governance,” said one farmer, Mayur Khuman, from Mandal.As monsoon rains intensify across the state, the challenge is clear: Unless authorities act swiftly to clear blocked waterways and regulate construction, disputes over water will likely lead to more violent incidents, threatening both community harmony and rural livelihoods, said Dilavarsinh Rajput, an activist and farmer from North Gujarat.
