The initiative kicked off on Sunday with a foundation stone-laying ceremony near Mangal Pandey Bridge. The 24.7 km-long river will be revamped in four phases, with an estimated 19 lakh cubic meters of soil, mud, and silt set to be excavated. The project also includes forest clearing across 236.49 hectares to enhance the river’s carrying capacity from 800 cusecs to 1,100cusecs. In 2024, the Vishwamitri River overflowed, leading to extensive urban flooding. Over 20,000 people were displaced, and severe damage was done to infrastructure and agricultural land. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is implementing additional flood control measures, including the deepening and widening of Ajwa and Pratappura lakes, constructing a bar lake at Dena, rerouting the dry canal, creating a new channel, and deepening and widen other city canals. The work began on Sunday, employing 10 dumpers, four tractors, four Hitachis, and six JCBs.