Congress Demands Probe Into Surat Flooding, Blames Administrative Failure

SURAT : Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary and farmer leader Darshan Naik has accused the BJP government of turning Surat’s recurring flood crisis into a man-made disaster, alleging that years of administrative negligence, ignored warnings and unchecked illegal encroachments have left lakhs of residents, farmers and traders paying the price. He has sought a high-level inquiry into the recent rainwater accumulation and creek flooding across Surat city and district, claiming the situation was entirely avoidable.

In a detailed representation addressed to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi, Naik demanded that accountability be fixed on senior officials, including the District Collector, Municipal Commissioner, Disaster Management Department and Irrigation Department, for what he described as a complete failure of pre-monsoon preparedness.

“The flooding witnessed in Surat is not merely the result of heavy rainfall. It is the consequence of administrative failure, negligence and political patronage extended to illegal encroachments,” Naik said.

According to him, repeated written representations submitted before every monsoon over the last three years had urged authorities to clean rivers, creeks and natural waterways, remove illegal shrimp ponds, clear encroachments along the Tapi River and improve rainwater drainage systems. However, he alleged that the administration limited itself to meetings and paperwork without implementing any meaningful action.

Naik claimed that natural waterways, including the Mindhola River, Keem River, Sena Creek and Ghoda Creek, have remained heavily silted for years. He further alleged that illegal soil excavation, pressure dams and shrimp ponds have obstructed the natural flow of water, while officials failed to act against violators.

“The government’s claims of development worth crores of rupees fall flat when a few hours of rain can paralyse Surat city and district. This raises serious questions about governance and disaster preparedness,” he added.

The Congress leader has also sought a financial audit of expenditure incurred on flood prevention and drainage-related works, demanding strict action if any irregularities or negligence are established.

Apart from fixing responsibility, Nayak has urged the state government to launch a district-wide drive to remove illegal encroachments from government land, the banks of the Tapi River, creeks and natural waterways.

He has also demanded an immediate survey of losses suffered by farmers, traders and residents due to crop damage, livestock losses, disruption of businesses and damage to property, followed by adequate compensation.

Warning of a statewide agitation, Naik said the Congress would mobilise farmers, traders and citizens if the government failed to act against responsible officials and remove illegal encroachments.

“This annual crisis is no longer a natural disaster. It is the outcome of administrative failure. The time has come to fix responsibility,” he asserted.