Surat floods a ‘man-made disaster’, says research center

Surat : While the residents in Parvat Patiya, Saniya Hemad and Limbayat are still struggling due to the aftermath of the flash floods in the creeks,  the Brackish Water Research Centre, which has been operating in the state since 2003, has said it was a “man-made disaster” created with the implementation of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) by the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Kankra Khadi network and encroachment over Mindhola river flood plain in Surat. 

In an email to Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Gujarat Government, BWRC has accused the Surat Municipal Corporation for implementing remodelling and restructuring of the natural drains also known as Khadi or creeks passing from Surat city and meets in the Mindhola river. Due to the restructuring and remodelling of the creeks, the water carrying capacity of the creeks decreased, causing floods in the regio almost every monsoon season. 

BWRC has claimed that the NRCP project development costing Rs 450 crore has resulted in flooding in Surat city. The SMC under NRCP constructed cemented embankments on both sides of the banks and made roads over the original natural drain network. However, even with 4-5 inches of rainfall, the catchment areas of Saniya Hemad, Puna Kumbhariya, Parvat Patiya, Limbayat etc. are flooded due to heavy water logging as creeks made by cement concrete and the development of bio diversity park on the flood plains made the creeks narrow and shallow. 

Thousands of people in the six municipal zones of Surat are suffering due to the onslaught of flash floods last week, which claimed three lives. The SMC, according to BWRC, violated the aim and objectives of NRCP and NRCD guidelines. The basic aim of SMC was to make the creek banks encroachment free, to reclaim new land and utilise for their  usage. The project aid was sought and cemented creeks were constructed to destroy the natural drainage network. 

MHS Shaikh, president of BWRC said, “The project was implemented over the creeks by constructing cemented boxes and destroying the natural open drain and constructing roads on both sides of the creek. In order to protect the drinking water source of Surat weir-cum-cauweway, SMC diverted all the sewage in Mindhola river under Tapi Cleanliness scheme. Pipelines are laid to divert the sewage water into Mindhola. SMC has done illegal and disastrous work in the name of conserving nature and environment and improving water quality and protect the rivers”

The capacity of the creeks have drastically decreased due to the accumulation of silt and debris from the last several decades at the mouth of Mindhola river. The SMC implemented the NRCP project without consulting the irrigation department. Also, the illegal shrimp farms on the floodplain of Mindhola river are obstructing the flow of water. 

“We have demanded de-siltation of Kankara Creek and all the creeks in the upstream till Mindhola river in consultation with irrigation department, removal of illegal shirmp farms, dismantling of roads and bio-diversity park created over natural creek  violating the NGT orders, and recovery of financial aid from the SMC as the project has resulted in devastation” said Shaikh.