Gujarat Floods: Vadodara Battles Crocodile Invasion Amid Rising Water Levels

Vadodara: As heavy rains swell the Vishwamitri River in Vadodara, the city is grappling with an unexpected menace—crocodiles entering residential areas. Following days of intense rainfall, several crocodiles, some measuring up to 15 feet, have been spotted across the city, including on roads, in parks, near homes and even on a university campus.

In a startling incident, a crocodile was seen perched on the roof of a flooded house.

VIDEO | Gujarat Rains: Crocodile spotted at roof of a house as heavy rainfall inundate Akota Stadium area of Vadodara.

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz)#GujaratRains #GujaratFlood pic.twitter.com/FYQitH7eBK

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In the past five days, officials have rescued 10 crocodiles. “Two have been released and eight are still in our custody. They will be released once the river’s water level recedes,” an official told ANI.

The Vishwamitri River, which has been inundating the city, is home to around 300 crocodiles. Although the river’s water level has decreased from its peak of 37 feet—12 feet above the danger mark—to 24 feet, the threat remains.

Residents along the river’s banks are no strangers to this phenomenon, as crocodile sightings become more frequent during the monsoon season when the river overflows and the reptiles venture into the city. “Crocodile rescues from areas near the Vishwamitri riverbank occur year-round, but the numbers surge during the monsoon,” said Range Forest Officer Karansinh Rajput.

In June, four crocodiles were rescued and released back into the river, while 21 were rescued in July.

Floods in Gujarat have claimed at least 26 lives in the last five days. According to the State Emergency Operations Centre, 1,785 people were rescued on Thursday, with 13,183 shifted to safer areas due to heavy rainfall and waterlogging. So far, over 50,000 people have been relocated and around 4,200 have been rescued from flood-affected regions.

Rescue and relief operations are underway in the hardest-hit districts, including Vadodara, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Kutch, with the Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF and local administration actively involved.