Vadodara

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This article is about the municipality in India. For its namesake district,
see Vadodara district. For the constituency, see Vadodara (Lok Sabha
constituency).
"Baroda" redirects here. For other uses, see Baroda (disambiguation).

Vadodara

Baroda

Metropolis
 Clockwise from top: Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Saradar Patel
Planetarium, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Downtown
Vadodara

Nickname(s): 

Sayaji Nagari (City of Sayajirao Gaekwad), Sanskari Nagari

(Cultural City)

Vadodara

Location of Vadodara in Gujarat

Coordinates:  22°18′N 73°12′ECoordinates:  22°18′N 73°12′E

Country  India
State Gujarat
District Vadodara District
Zone 4[1]
Ward 25[1][3]

Vadodara Municipal Established 1950

Corporation

Government
  • Body VUDA, VMSS
 • Mayor Dr Jigeesha Sheth
 • Municipal Commissioner Shri Swaroop P

Area
[1]

 • Total 220.33 km2 (85.07 sq mi)
Area rank 15th in india (2nd in Gujarat
State)

Elevation 32 m (105 ft)

Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total 1,822,221 [2]
 • Rank 17th in india (3rd in Gujarat State)

Demonym(s) Barodian

Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)

PIN 390 0XX

Telephone code (91)265
ISO 3166 code ISO 3166-2:IN
Vehicle registration GJ-06 (Urban)/GJ-29 (Rural)
Nearest city Bharuch, Anand
Literacy Rate 94.5%
Legislature type Municipal Corporation
Legislature Strength 84[1]
Lok Sabha constituency 1[4]
Vidhan Sabha constituency 13[5]
Climate Tropical savanna (Köppen: Aw)
Planning agency 1 (VUDA)
Distance from Gandhinagar 126 kilometres (78 mi) NE (Rail
& Air)
Distance from Mumbai 395 kilometres (245 mi) S (Rail &
Air)
Distance from Ahmedabad 100 kilometres (62 mi) NW
(Road)

Website www.vmc.gov.in

Vadodara also known as Baroda, is the 3rd largest city in the Indian state

of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of Vadodara District and is located
on the banks of the Vishwamitri river, 141 kilometres (88 mi) from the state
capital Gandhinagar. The railway line and NH 8 that connect Delhi and Mumbai pass
through Vadodara. The city got its name because of the copious amount of Banyan
(Vad) trees found in the city. The city is also known as Sanskari Nagari (The Cultural
City) and Kala Nagari (the city of art)[6] of India.
The city is known for the Lakshmi Vilas Palace, the residence of Baroda
State's Maratha royal family, the Gaekwads, of the Gaekwad Dynasty. It is also the
home of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.[7]

Contents

 1History
o 1.1Etymology
o 1.2Old Ankotakka
 2Geography
 3Climate
 4Demographics
 5Economy
 6Government and politics
o 6.1Civic administration
 6.1.1City governance
 6.1.2Politics
 6.1.3Law and order
 7Civic services
o 7.1Urban planning
o 7.2Solid waste management
o 7.3Water supply
o 7.4Drainage and sewage
o 7.5Electricity
o 7.6Fire and emergency
 8Transport
o 8.1Air
o 8.2Railway
o 8.3Bus
o 8.4Religions and festivals
 9Sports
 10Media
 11Education
o 11.1Universities
 12References
 13Further reading
 14External links

History[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Street scene in Baroda (c. 1880)

The city in one period[when?] was called Chandanavati after[vague] the rule of Chanda of the
Dodiya Rajputs. The capital was also known[when?] as Virakshetra or Viravati (Land of
Warriors). Later on,[when?] it was known as Vadpatraka or Vadodará, [vague] and according
to tradition,[whose?][when?] is a corrupt form of the Sanskrit word vatodar, meaning "in the
belly of the Banyan tree". It is, as of 2000, almost impossible to ascertain when the
various changes in the name were made; early English travellers and merchants of
the 18th century mention the town as Brodera,[8] and it is from this, that the name
Baroda is derived; in 1974 (well after independence) the official name of the city was
changed to Vadodara.
In 1907, a small village and township[9] in Michigan, United States, were each named
after the Indian city.
Old Ankotakka[edit]
It is believed that early man lived on the banks of the Mahi River, which formed the
floodplain during that age.[10] The movements of these hunter-gatherers, living on the
banks of the river, grubbing the roots and killing animals with crude stone tools made
out of the cobbles and pebbles available on the river bank, were necessarily
controlled by the availability of convenient raw materials for their tools.

Geography[edit]
Vadodara is located at 22.30°N 73.19°E in western India at an elevation of 39 metres
(128 ft). It is the 18th-largest city in India with an area of 235 square kilometres
(91 sq mi) and a population of 2.1 million, according to the 2010–11 census. The city
sits on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, in central Gujarat. The Vishwamitri
frequently dries up in the summer, leaving only a small stream of water. The city is
located on the fertile plain between the Mahi and Narmada Rivers. According to the
Bureau of Indian Standards, the cosmopolis falls under seismic zone-III, on a scale
of I to V (in order of increasing proneness to earthquakes). [11]

Climate[edit]
Despite the roughly 800 mm of precipitation that the city receives annually, Vadodara
features a semi-arid climate (BSh) under Köppen's Climate classification due to the
area's high potential evapotranspiration. There are three main seasons:
Summer, Monsoon and Winter. Aside from the monsoon season, the climate is dry.
The weather is hot during March to July, when the average maximum is 45 °C
(113 °F), and the average minimum is 23 °C (73 °F). From November to February,
the average maximum temperature is 30 °C (86 °F), the average minimum is 15 °C
(59 °F), and the climate is extremely dry. Cold northerly winds are responsible for a
mild chilly days in January. The southwest monsoon brings a humid climate from
mid-June to mid-September. The average rainfall is 93 cm (37 in), but infrequent
heavy torrential rains cause the river to flood [12] like the 2005 Gujarat flood or
the 2008 Indian floods which were catastrophic.[13]

Panorama of Laxmi Vilas Palace

The highest recorded temperature was 46.7 °C (116.1 °F) on 11 May 1960 crossed
with 48.0 °C (118.4 °F) on 19 May 2016,[14] while the lowest recorded temperature
was −1.1 °C (30.0 °F) on 15 January 1935.[15]
hideClimate data for Vadodara Airport (1981–2010, extrem
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
37.4 40.6 44.2 45.9 46.2 45.6
Record high °C (°F)
(99.3) (105.1) (111.6) (114.6) (115.2) (114.1)
29.7 32.0 36.3 39.1 39.9 37.2
Average high °C (°F)
(85.5) (89.6) (97.3) (102.4) (103.8) (99.0)
13.2 14.9 19.2 23.6 27.0 27.5
Average low °C (°F)
(55.8) (58.8) (66.6) (74.5) (80.6) (81.5)
2.8 3.9 9.3 14.4 19.4 21.2
Record low °C (°F)
(37.0) (39.0) (48.7) (57.9) (66.9) (70.2)
1.2 0.0 0.1 1.0 6.3 118.6
Average rainfall mm (inches)
(0.05) (0.0) (0.00) (0.04) (0.25) (4.67)
Average rainy days 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.3 4.1
Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST) 36 29 25 23 32 51
Source: India Meteorological Department[16][17]

Demographics[edit]
Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration at JKSP Home Vadodara

hidePopulation Growth of Vadodara 

Census Population %±

1881 101,800 —

1891 116,400 14.3%

1901 103,800 −10.8%

1911 99,300 −4.3%

1921 94,700 −4.6%

1931 112,900 19.2%

1941 153,300 35.8%

1951 211,400 37.9%

1961 295,100 39.6%

1971 467,000 58.3%

1981 744,000 59.3%

1991 1,126,800 51.5%

2001 1,491,045 32.3%

2011 1,822,221 22.2%

source:[18][19]
According to the 2011 India census, Vadodara metropolitan area had a population of
1,822,221. In Vadodara, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[20]
 Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, and English are the languages spoken in the city.
Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%.

Economy[edit]

Mandvi Gate

In Vadodara various large-scale industries such as Indian Oil

Corporation(IOCL), Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals (GSFC), Vadodara
Manufacturing Division(VMD)(Formerly IPCL) of Reliance Industries Limited, Linde
Engineering India, L&T and Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) have
come up in the vicinity of Gujarat Refinery and all of them are dependent on it for
their fuel and feedstock. Other large-scale public sector units are Heavy Water
Project, Gujarat Industries Power Company Limited (GIPCL), Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC) & Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL). In addition to these
public sector enterprises, a number of other large-scale enterprises have come up in
the private sector such as Avalanch Global Solutions, Bombardier Transportation.[21][22]
Located in Vadodara are over 35% of India's power transmission and distribution
equipment manufacturers and an estimated 800 ancillaries supporting the big
players in Power Sector equipment manufacturing and engineering industry. [23] great
city Vadodara is also home to the Vadodara Stock Exchange (VSE).
The revenue for the city is generated through taxes, service provision and state
government assistance. The taxes include general taxes, conservancy taxes, water
taxes where as the non-tax or service can be water charges, rent from municipal
properties, public service charges etc.[24] The VMC budget for the year 2020-2021
against the proposed budget of Rs 3,554 crore last year, stood at Rs 3,770 crore this
year.[25]

Government and politics[edit]

Vadodara City Officials

Dr. Jigeeshaben
Mayor
Jatinbhai Sheth[26]

Municipal Commissioner Shri Nalin

 Upadhyay

Anupamsinh
Police Commissioner
Gehlot IPS

Khanderao Market – Vadodara Mahanagar Seva Sadan Building

The Vadodara city's municipal corporation or Maha Nagar Palika is a part of the
Vadodara district. The district is setup in three distinct levels of administration, which
are the collectorate - the district falls under the jurisdiction of a collector; the prant
offices which take care of the affairs of taluka and other state government offices and
the mamlatdar or taluka offices. The overall district administration has four
departments: city survey, district supply office, district planning office, and district
election office.[27]
The City elects one[4] member to the Lok Sabha (parliament) and five[5] to the
Gujarat Vidhan Sabha (Assembly). All of the five assembly seats of Vadodara were
won by the BJP during the legislative elections in 2002. In the 2006 VMSS/VMC
elections, the BJP won 74[28] seats, six seats went to the Congress.

 Election wards: 38[1]

 Seats (Corporators): 114[1]
 Population per ward: 31,122
 Seats reserved for women: 38
 Total voters (as on 1 January 2019): 1,638,3
Civic administration[edit]
According to the 2011 census, the total Urban Agglomeration (UA) population of
Vadodara is 18,17,191.[29] This is governed by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation
which was founded in 1951.[30] It was initially called the Baroda Municipal Corporation
but later changed to Vadodara Municipal Corporation after the city's name was
changed in the year 1974.[31] The Bombay Municipal Corporation Act of 1951 was
setup as the main legislation for the administration and governance of the Vadodara
Municipal Corporation.[32] The city limits of Vadodara have expanded since: an area of
148 square km was added in the year 2002, followed by 15-20 sq kms of additional
expansion to the north of the city in 2006.[33] The villages Sayajipura, Bapod, Kapurai,
Khatamba, Tarsal Kalali, Gorva, Chhani and Vemali were added to the VMC
boundaries in 2017[34] and the latest expansion notice has been given to the seven
villages of Sevasi, Bhayli, Vemali, Bil, Karodiya, Undera and Vadadala in the year
2020.[35]
City governance[edit]
Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery

The Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949 [36] governs the Vadodara
Municipal Corporation. The Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations Act [37] of 1949
which is derived from the Bombay Act No. LIX of 1949 is another legislation which
most municipal corporation, including Vadodara in Gujarat function under.
The highest body of power in the municipal corporation is the General Board, which
is composed of elected members from each ward within the VMC. There are 38
wards under the VMC, each of which consists 3 seats of councilor which has a 33%
reservation of seats for women. There are a total of 114 councillors elected for this
VMC term where every councilor is appointed in various committees for a period of
one year.
The VMC has twelve executive committees apart from the standing committee,
which look after the specialized functions of VMC. These committees include public
works committee, water work committee, drainage and sewerage committee, health
committee, town planning committee, estate management committee, recreation and
culture committee, electric committee, and legal committee. Each committee
consists of 9 councilors each.[38] The formulation of an additional ward committee is
recommended by the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporation Act of 1949 for a city
exceeding the population of three lakhs[39]- which is above the current population of
Vadodara.
Politics[edit]

Pratap Vilas Palace

Three corporators are elected from each ward, who in turn elect a mayor. Executive
powers are vested in the municipal commissioner, who is an IAS officer appointed by
the Gujarat state government. The mayor is responsible for the day-to-day running of
the city services, municipal school board, the city bus service, the municipal hospital
and the city library. The last municipal corporation election for Vadodara took place
in the year 2015[40] where Bhartiya Janta Party won in the majority with 57 out of the
total 76 seats, followed by the Indian National Congress (INC) with 14 seats. [41]
There are six sitting MLAs who have VMC under their jurisdiction and are currently
part of the state ministry.[42][43] Rajendrabhai Trivedi is the BJP MLA and incumbent
14th Speaker of Gujarat Legislative Assembly, who was unanimously elected on 9
February 2018.[44] Jitendra Sukhadia is the Minister of Tourism, Non-resident Gujarati
division as well as the Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs. [45] Saurabhbhai
Patel is the incumbent Energy Minister of Gujarat[46] while Yogeshbhai Patel heads
the Ministry of State for Narmada Development. [47] The MLA Madhubhai Shrivastav is
the state appointed Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation (GAIC) chief [48] and Manisha
Vakil is BJP's Vadodara City Assembly Constituency MLA.[49]