Ahmedabad News Roundup | Vasna Barrage overflows, City Police busts fake cosmetics ring & more

Get up-to-date on Ahmedabad's latest news, from the rising Sabarmati River levels and Vasna Barrage gates opening to the City Crime Branch's crackdown on counterfeit cosmetics to IMD's monsoon impact report on Gujarat, and much more in this Ahmedabad News Roundup.

Due to the escalating water level of the Sabarmati River, authorities have taken the precautionary measure of opening 15 gates at the Vasna barrage. As of 4 pm on Tuesday, the water level at the Vasna barrage reached 127.50 feet. The continuous rise in the river's level poses a potential flooding risk, leading authorities to issue alerts to villages downstream of the Vasna barrage along the Sabarmati bank.

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has caught five individuals involved in the duplication and sale of counterfeit cosmetic products sold under renowned brands such as Lakme and Elle 18. Police officials revealed that the seized counterfeit items included various cosmetic products such as kajal sticks, mascara, lipsticks, eyeliners, and more. These counterfeit products are nearly indistinguishable from genuine ones, making them potentially harmful to consumers.

To preserve invaluable information about Mahatma Gandhi and rare works, the Center has provided financial support. The Sabarmati Ashram played a pivotal role in this project by assisting five libraries and museums nationwide in digitization and automation efforts. These libraries have now completed the digitization process and consolidated their catalogues onto a common online platform known as the National Virtual Library of India (NVLI).

IMD released a report on Tuesday stating that Gujarat is experiencing a significant monsoon impact due to a "cyclonic circulation over southwest Rajasthan." Although Ahmedabad received some relief on Tuesday, several regions in the state continued to experience heavy rainfall. According to data from the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), Gujarat has received 870 mm of rainfall so far, which accounts for 99.27% of the average annual rainfall.

Over the past four years, AMC has planted a total of 55.38 lakh trees at a cost of Rs 20 crores. However, a concerning 22.15 lakh trees have already withered. This situation likely stems from inadequate preservation measures.