Surat Drowns in Rain, Ex-Councilor Demands Civic Chief’s Removal

Surat, Gujarat —  The first heavy spell of monsoon rains has left Surat city waterlogged and gasping, with over 50% of the population affected—and now, the heat is on Surat Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal.

Former Congress councillor Aslam Cyclewala has written to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, demanding Agarwal’s transfer, a high-level probe, and even compulsory retirement for her “gross negligence and failure” in preparing the city for monsoon.

In a scathing letter, Cyclewala stated, “Despite early warnings of rain from June 23, the SMC under Shalini Agarwal was completely unprepared. The storm water drains were choked, the creeks were not dredged, and illegal encroachments were left untouched. Surat citizens paid the price for her inefficiency.”

Cyclewala highlighted that this is the third consecutive year of severe creek flooding at Khadipur, and yet no permanent solution has been found. According to him, drain cleaning was superficial, focusing only on external appearances, while tons of silt and garbage remained within storm lines.

In areas like Bamaroli to Althan Bhatar, once open fields for natural runoff, unplanned infrastructure and encroachments have blocked the natural flow of floodwater. The construction of high roads and gardens on creekbeds, Cyclewala alleges, has turned a natural flood buffer zone into a disaster hotspot.

“The illegal shrimp ponds built on government land weren’t removed due to poor coordination between SMC and the Collector’s office. That alone led to six days of waterlogging, bringing misery to the citizens,” said Cyclewala.

He also took aim at the post-flood clean-up, saying that disinfection and garbage removal were not carried out effectively even in the most affected areas. “It’s an embarrassment for Surat,” he added, “a city that boasts of being number one in cleanliness.”

The criticism comes as Surat reels from the aftermath of crippling rains and mismanagement, with residents questioning the competence of the civic body. Many affected areas saw knee-deep to waist-deep water, leading to damage to homes, traffic paralysis, and rising public anger.

“In earlier years, Surat’s Municipal Commissioners were alert and preemptive. Shalini Agarwal’s tenure has been marked by apathy and administrative collapse,” Cyclewala concluded.

As public outrage grows and opposition parties rally around the issue, CM Bhupendra Patel is now under pressure to act on the allegations and ensure accountability in one of Gujarat’s most prominent urban centres.