SMC targets encroachments, widens creeks to prevent flooding
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Surat : In response to repeated flooding around city creeks (Khadi), the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) launched extensive cleaning and demolition operations across Athwa, Limbayat, and Udhna (A) zones on Sunday.
The drive focused on clearing obstructed canals and demolishing illegal or dilapidated structures to restore natural water flow.
SMC deployed large teams of engineers, technical staff, fire brigade, and Watch & Ward personnel to conduct the drive. The operation focused on key water bodies including Kankara Khadi, Mithi Khadi and Bhedwad Khadi.
In the Southeast Zone (Limbayat), a 35-metre-long and 7-metre-wide RCC bridge illegally constructed over Mithi Khadi—between Plot Nos.
219/2 and 225/1 of Draft TP Scheme No. 35 (Kumbhariya–Saroli–Saniya Hemad–Devadh)—was demolished. The task was led by a deputy engineer and executed by a 36-member team using long boom breakers, JCB machines, trucks, tractors, gas cutters, DG sets and other demolition equipment.
In addition, a fabricated bridge obstructing the flow of Bhedwad Khadi near Godadara village and Krishna Park Society — located within Draft TP Scheme Nos.
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61 and 69 — was dismantled. This operation was carried out under the direct supervision of the deputy municipal commissioner and executive engineer of the Southeast Zone.
In the Southwest Zone (Athwa), canal widening and clearing works were conducted near Bhamroli and Althan. Heavy excavators and trucks were deployed to remove obstructions and widen the canal adjacent to the newly built SMC housing complex in Bhimarad.
Additional work was also undertaken along the canal stretch leading to the Sachin–Magdalla bridge to ensure smoother water passage.
Simultaneously, the Udhna (A) zone carried out significant work along the Bhimarad–Bamroli Pumping Station road. An old pipe culvert situated in front of the Vidhneshwar Mahadev temple in Bamroli was removed to facilitate widening of the Bhedwad Khadi in that area. The operation, led by 11 engineers, involved multiple JCBs, long boom breakers, trucks, tractors, and Watch & Ward staff to safely manage the demolition and excavation.
Surat municipal commissioner Shalini Agrawal, who also heads the Creek Flood Prevention Committee, told TOI: "We will continue to implement both short- and long-term measures to prevent flooding in creek areas. These efforts will be carried out in coordination with various departments, including the irrigation department and district administration. We also plan to consult experts and prepare a detailed project report to develop a permanent solution to this recurring issue.
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Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
SMC targets encroachments, widens creeks to prevent flooding
1 2 3 Surat : In response to repeated flooding around city creeks (Khadi), the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) launched extensive cleaning and demolition operations across Athwa, Limbayat, and Udhna (A) zones on Sunday. The drive focused on clearing obstructed canals and demolishing illegal or dilapidated structures to restore natural water flow. SMC deployed large teams of engineers, technical staff, fire brigade, and Watch & Ward personnel to conduct the drive. The operation focused on key water bodies including Kankara Khadi, Mithi Khadi and Bhedwad Khadi. In the Southeast Zone (Limbayat), a 35-metre-long and 7-metre-wide RCC bridge illegally constructed over Mithi Khadi—between Plot Nos. 219/2 and 225/1 of Draft TP Scheme No. 35 (Kumbhariya–Saroli–Saniya Hemad–Devadh)—was demolished. The task was led by a deputy engineer and executed by a 36-member team using long boom breakers, JCB machines, trucks, tractors, gas cutters, DG sets and other demolition equipment. In addition, a fabricated bridge obstructing the flow of Bhedwad Khadi near Godadara village and Krishna Park Society — located within Draft TP Scheme Nos. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo by Taboola by Taboola 61 and 69 — was dismantled. This operation was carried out under the direct supervision of the deputy municipal commissioner and executive engineer of the Southeast Zone. In the Southwest Zone (Athwa), canal widening and clearing works were conducted near Bhamroli and Althan. Heavy excavators and trucks were deployed to remove obstructions and widen the canal adjacent to the newly built SMC housing complex in Bhimarad. Additional work was also undertaken along the canal stretch leading to the Sachin–Magdalla bridge to ensure smoother water passage. Simultaneously, the Udhna (A) zone carried out significant work along the Bhimarad–Bamroli Pumping Station road. An old pipe culvert situated in front of the Vidhneshwar Mahadev temple in Bamroli was removed to facilitate widening of the Bhedwad Khadi in that area. The operation, led by 11 engineers, involved multiple JCBs, long boom breakers, trucks, tractors, and Watch & Ward staff to safely manage the demolition and excavation. Surat municipal commissioner Shalini Agrawal, who also heads the Creek Flood Prevention Committee, told TOI: "We will continue to implement both short- and long-term measures to prevent flooding in creek areas. These efforts will be carried out in coordination with various departments, including the irrigation department and district administration. We also plan to consult experts and prepare a detailed project report to develop a permanent solution to this recurring issue. "
India Today
4 days ago
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Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Indian Express
Know Your City: A slice of Turkey in Surat that sees calls for name change amid current geopolitical churn
'This way to Turkiwad' says a sign in Shahpore, leading to a narrow street that takes its name from the Turks who lived here when they came to trade in Surat, around the 16th century. Turkiwad is a lane with some 35 houses on both sides of the road running east to west, next to Muglisara, or Mughal Sarai, where the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is headquartered. City-based historian and lawyer Vadud Zarulla, 80, citing Portuguese traveller Duarte Barbosa, says, 'Businessmen from Armenia, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Turkey came to Surat for business from the 14th century. The Turkish people settled in the Saudargarwad area, adjacent to Mughlisara. They stayed in a ghetto which began to be known as Turkishwad. The Turks first came to trade in Surat, as the city was well known for its thriving textile business. During that time, textiles were woven on handmade looms. They traded in spices from Malabar and cloth from Surat.' Eventually, the area surrounded by Saudagarwad to the south and Shahpore to the north began to be known as Turkiwad, even in government records. Zarulla says, 'A prominent Turkish trader, Ahmad Chelabi, also settled in Surat during those days, and he was regarded as a leader by the Turkish community. He also built a mosque, which is located near Turkiwad.' The Chelabi ki Masjid in this area has a marble plaque bearing his name on the wall of the mosque's main gate. Chelabi's tomb is also located in this mosque. 'The Turkish people also got married to the local women, and after their death, they were buried in the Saiyedpura graveyard. Presently, houses are built on graveyards, so there are no remains,' adds Zarulla. In the book Surat, Sonani Murat: a chronicle, historian Dr Mohanbhai Meghani describes Surat as a port that traded in the 14th century in spices, muslin and other products. 'Traders from all over the world came to Surat, which was then known as Suryapur, for trade and business. Suryapur was flourishing with business, and this had attracted pirates who looted the ships and tried to enter the Suryapur through the Tapi river. A fort was made on the banks of Tapi river by Khwaja Safar Suleman alias Khudavand Khan, who was governor of Surat (Suryapur) under the regime of Sultan Mehmud-3 in the year 1540-41, in a bid to protect the trading activities from Portuguese traders.' He further writes, 'In 1708, a Turkish trader, Usman Chalebi, with his ship came into the port at Daman, and a Portuguese navy officer, Antonio Sermanto, captured it during their regime. The ship captain showed a document which was a year old. The ship was first taken to Versova in Maharashtra and later stocked at Goa' 'On April 22, 1708, a Parsi broker, Rustam Manek, contacted the Viceroy of Goa, Dom Rodrigo de Costa (1707-1712), and informed him that the goods in the ship belonged to Surat traders and that the traders would attack Daman, which was under Portuguese rule. The Viceroy later allowed the ship to sail at Surat port in 1710. Turkish traders came to Surat for business in the 15th century. Due to the prosperity of Surat, Shivaji robbed Surat twice in 1664.' Meghani further says that in the 17th century, Surat became the centre of international business trade, which attracted traders from all of India and also foreign countries. 'There was a time when flags of 84 ports across the globe were furled at Surat seaport. First, the Portuguese came to Surat, and then the British in 1602 established the East India Company castle (Kothi), and later, the Dutch made their castle in 1602. Similarly, the French had set up their Kothi in 1668. There is no presence of any such castle of Turkish. The business had been flourishing since 1570 as European traders came to Surat for trade in 1573.' The focus shifted to Turkiwad following Operation Sindoor, as there were increasing demands to rename the area. This call for a name change arose due to protests against Turkey, which was perceived to have supported Pakistan during India's military response to the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, where terrorists killed 26 people. Surat BJP MP Mukesh Dalal wrote a letter to Surat Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agrawal demanding that those areas named after enemy countries be changed. Dalal's letter said, 'There are some areas in the city which have been identified as Turkiwad, Pakistan and Bangladesh. These countries are enemies of our country and promote terrorism, hatred, intending to bring instability in the country and are a threat to the unity and secularism of our country. With such enemy countries still existing in our Surat city, it cannot be tolerated.' While Turkiwad is an officially recognised area in the municipal records, Surat has places informally named as Pakistani mohallas and so on. Dalal further adds, 'With such names, it harms the sentiments of citizens, so I request you to prepare a list of such areas which are identified by the names of the enemy country and start procedures to assign names that have Rashtrawadi (nationalistic) sentiment.' Surat Piyushkumar Shah, president of Shree Jinagana Seva Trust, also handed a memorandum to the Surat municipal commissioner a few days later, requesting that she change the name of the Turkiwad area, which is located close to the SMC headquarters. In the memorandum, Shah said, 'It is the sentiments of the people of Surat to change the name of Turkiwad and give a new name, as Turkey had helped Pakistan in the recent war.' Turkish roots, however, run deep in Surat. Tahir Mishri, 60, a resident of the Turkiwad area and a decorator contractor, who claims Turkish ancestry, said, 'My father and grandfather used to tell us that our ancestors were from Turkey and they were into business and trade relations. We are familiar with the Chelabi mosque, and there is also a Chelabi Apartment in Turkiwad. Presently, nobody in Turkiwad has any documents to claim that their ancestors were from Turkey.' Not far away, a Turkish engineering, procurement and construction firm, Gulermak, has tied up with the Surat Metro rail project.
