The Hindu : National : Little respite for Surat, people take refuge on rooftops

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Thursday, Aug 10, 2006

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National

Little respite for Surat, people take refuge on rooftops

Manas Dasgupta

People were either on rooftops or forced to leave the city and take refuge on highways

Photo: PTI

CITY UNDER WATER: Overhead water tanks are all that is visible of some houses in the flooded Surat city in Gujarat on Wednesday. With the water entering their houses, many are forced to seek refuge on rooftops, awaiting rescue.

GANDHINAGAR : There was no respite for Surat, despite the reduced discharge from the Ukai dam, as high tide on Wednesday prevented floodwaters of the Tapi from emptying into the sea.

Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel said the outflow from the Ukai dam was reduced to seven lakh cusecs at 3 p.m. from about 11 lakh cusecs on Tuesday night, though the inflow was 7.12 lakh cusecs. The outflow from the dam would be further gradually reduced.

Due to the backlash of the high tide coupled with several bouts of rainfall, floodwaters inundated the entire city of over 33 lakh with about 70 per cent of the areas under 10 to 15 feet of water. People were either on rooftops or forced to leave the city and take refuge on highways.

The entire city went without power supply for the third consecutive day, while efforts were on to restore communication facilities, even as the high flows and strong currents virtually stalled rescue and relief.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, demanded an immediate interim assistance of Rs. 2,000 crore for rescue and relief.

Though the State Government has cancelled all official ceremonies programme for the Independence Day, Mr. Modi will hoist the national Tricolour at a simple ceremony in Dahod.

Even as the road links remained hamstrung, through rail services between Ahmedabad and Mumbai were also hit on Wednesday due to flooding of tracks on the outskirts of Surat. Trains originating from Mumbai have been halted at Surat and those from Ahmedabad, at the Broach railway stations.

Photo: PTI

The major industrial units at Hazira on the coast, about 20 km from Surat, have been hit hard and may suffer colossal losses as flood waters have entered the closed units. Known for its art silk and diamond cutting industries, the preliminary estimates put the damage to the city at Rs 5,000 crores.

The situation in most other flood-hit areas, including Vadodara and Broach, improved on Wednesday with a brief respite from the rain. However, there was heavy rain in most parts of north Gujarat.

Project washed away

Mumbai Special Correspondent reports:

The Bilgaon microhydel project in Nandurbar district, which inspired the Bollywood film ``Swades,'' has been washed away due to the backwater effect of the Sardar Sarovar dam, according to the Narmada Bachao Andolan. Incessant rains in the Narmada Valley and rising water levels have flooded many villages in Maharashtra along the Narmada.

Since August 7, the NBA along with its leader Medha Patkar and about 100-odd activists have been staging a dharna in Chimalkhedi village to protest against the poor rehabilitation of the Government. The micro-project was acknowledged as a model of decentralised development, initiated by the people, using natural resources.

Bilgaon an adivasi village in the Narmada valley has about 180 families. This village did not have electricity even 55 years after Independence. The NBA decided to locate a micro hydel project here in 2002 since the place had a nine-metre high waterfall on a tributary of the Narmada, Udai. A committee was formed in the village, with representation from every household and this was supported by the local gram panchayat at Chikali, which passed a resolution supporting the project.

The NBA got help to design the project and people did 2,000 human-days of Shramdaan to construct a check dam, canal, penstock and the powerhouse. The project was designed by engineers from the People's School of Energy and implemented by the Bombay Sarvodaya Friendship Centre with support from the Association for India's Development, a voluntary organisation. The penstock was made by volunteers from Dhule and the 15 KW turbine by a professor from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

The energy produced used to provide electricity for every house in the village.

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