People in flood affected Bharuch and Narmada district vent their ire on MLAs, Govt officials

Bharuch/Narmada : A wave of anger is sweeping through the flood-affected communities in Bharuch and Narmada districts, directed at both the BJP MLAs and the district administrations.

In a series of incidents highlighting public frustration, BJP MLA Ishwarsinh Patel was heckled by villagers in Borbhata Bet, Ankleshwar taluka, while another BJP MLA, Darshana Deshmukh, from the Nandod constituency in Narmada district, faced a hostile crowd that forced her to leave the area.

The villagers in Nandod surrounded the car of BJP MLA Darshana Deshmukh, expressing their anger over what they perceived as a man-made disaster caused by the recent floods in Narmada. They held the district administration and the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) responsible for releasing approximately 22 lakh cusecs of water into the river after the state event, attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, concluded on September 17.

According to the villagers, the administrative system in both Narmada and Bharuch districts acted with overconfidence, disregarding expert advice against raising the water level in the Narmada river to 42 feet.

Sources within the BJP have indicated that party leadership has advised MLAs and party workers to avoid field visits due to the growing discontent among the people in both districts over the handling of the floods.

Even officials from the district administrations in Narmada and Bharuch are cautious about venturing into the field, fearing the wrath of the affected population. In Bharuch, officials are accompanied by police security as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incidents.

The people in Narmada district are highly critical of the Gujarat Government, accusing it of sacrificing lives and property in Narmada and Bharuch districts to achieve the historic water level of 138 meters in the Sardar Sarovar Dam, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday celebration.

Despite the passage of five days since the floods struck Bharuch district, over half a dozen villages remain in dire conditions without electricity. The Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company Limited (DGVCL) has deployed about 19 teams, comprising 204 personnel, to restore electricity. A survey to assess damage to electricity feeders in farms has also commenced and is expected to be completed within the next three days.