Ahmedabad: Man Dies in drainage disaster, AMC Fails

Ahmedabad, Gujarat – A devastating downpour transformed Ahmedabad into a treacherous aquatic maze on late Wednesday evening, when a 52-year-old Manubhai Panchal fell into the open drain with his motorcycle and disappeared. His dead body was recovered by the rescue teams about 200 feet away from the spot in the early morning hours of Thursday. 

The death of Panchal, after being swept into an open drainage line, has ignited a fierce public outcry, squarely pinning the blame on the alleged chronic negligence and woefully inadequate infrastructure of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). The city’s preparedness, or alarming lack thereof, has been brutally exposed, leaving citizens to question if their lives are simply expendable in the face of civic apathy.

The fatal incident unfolded around 8:50 PM near the Mogal Mata temple in Ambikanagar, Odhav, as heavy rains lashed the eastern parts of the city. Manubhai Panchal, a resident of Bella Park, was reportedly on his bike when he lost control and plummeted into a gaping pit in the drainage line adjacent to the Kharikat Canal. The immediate call to the Odhav Fire Station reported a person and a bike missing in the swirling waters.

Fire brigade teams, including personnel from Odhav and Nikol, rushed to the scene, confronted by a deluge. Station Officer Swaroopdan Gadhvi recounted the harrowing conditions: “The pit was filled with a lot of water, and it was raining continuously. Locals confirmed a person on a bike had fallen in.” Rescue efforts were severely hampered by the relentless rain and the fierce water flow, which had already caused surrounding barricades to collapse. Despite continuous efforts until 2 AM, the dangerous conditions prevented direct entry into the drainage line. It was only by 4:00 AM on Thursday, as water receded, that three brave firemen, tethered with safety ropes, ventured 200 feet into the dark, murky depths. There, their grim discovery awaited: Manubhai’s body trapped beneath his bike. After a grueling nine-hour operation, involving five firemen to retrieve the heavy bike, Manubhai’s life was finally confirmed lost, a chilling testament to the city’s perilous state.

Beyond the immediate tragedy, the citywide impact underscored AMC’s systemic failures. Areas like Maninagar, Vatva, CityM, Hatkeshwar, Nikol Odhav, and Virat Nagar reported severe waterlogging. In Hatkeshwar ward, even 10 hours after the rain ceased, rainwater stubbornly refused to recede. The premises of Udgam Vidyalaya, Archana Vidyalaya, and The Mother English School near Rajesh Park remained inundated, forcing administrators to declare closures. Residents in Hatkeshwar Circle endured a nightmarish ordeal, their homes waterlogged, highlighting a glaring absence of rapid drainage solutions.

The simmering anger among residents has now boiled over. “This isn’t rain, this is AMC’s failure,” declared a visibly distraught local from Odhav, echoing widespread sentiment. Another frustrated citizen from Hatkeshwar added, “Every monsoon, it’s the same story. How many more lives must be lost before the AMC takes its responsibility seriously?” Critics argue that the corporation’s pre-monsoon preparations are mere eyewash, with critical drainage infrastructure left exposed, poorly maintained, or simply inadequate for a rapidly growing metropolis.