Surat Municipal Commissioner Faces Complaints of Negligence

Surat : Surat Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal is under scrutiny following a formal complaint by social activist Darshan Naik, who has demanded action from Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the Urban Development department. Naik’s complaint alleges negligence, violation of service rules, and an indifferent approach toward issues affecting Surat’s citizens, with particular concern over the city’s infrastructure, flood management, and metro construction impacts.

Naik’s letter details a series of grievances, beginning with the impact of the ongoing Surat metro rail construction on the city’s water-drainage infrastructure. According to Naik, the construction work has led to the breakage of critical water-drainage lines 24 times in the past year and a half. This has resulted in frequent disruptions, with damages to water pipelines on 12 occasions. The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) reportedly allocated ₹34 lakh for repairs, yet only ₹2 lakh has been utilized, leaving many issues unresolved and causing significant inconveniences for residents.

Safety concerns are another major issue Naik highlights, particularly regarding the agency overseeing the metro construction. He claims safety protocols are often ignored, contributing to haphazard construction that damages roads without any clear plan for restoration. This disregard, Naik argues, will leave many streets in poor condition long after construction ends, affecting everyday life for Surat’s residents.

Naik also points to broader concerns with SMC’s budget utilization, especially in areas like drainage and creek cleaning, which he claims have been inadequately managed. During the recent monsoon season, Surat saw substantial flooding in multiple areas, leading to damages to homes and businesses. Naik argues that, despite a substantial budget for drainage maintenance, the flooding indicates serious lapses in preparation, which exacerbated residents’ hardships during the rains.

The complaint further details issues surrounding water supply to industries in Hazira, a critical industrial zone near Surat. Naik claims the SMC is incurring losses of around ₹8 lakh monthly due to high operational costs and unpaid advance payments from the industries. He alleges that recent tenders for treating and supplying clean water to these industries inflated costs from an estimated ₹1,000 crore to ₹1,500 crore, a rise he attributes to lack of oversight in tendering processes.

Another pressing issue cited by Naik is the development along the floodplains of the Tapi River. Some areas along the river are designated “no-development zones” to protect the city from floods. However, Naik claims that construction of embankments and other illegal structures has been permitted in these areas, which endangers both the river’s carrying capacity and the surrounding neighborhoods. Despite submitting a public representation to the Municipal Commissioner on September 12, 2024, demanding action against these constructions, Naik alleges no effective steps have been taken, possibly due to political pressure.

Naik concludes his complaint with a call for legal action against Agarwal and other officials allegedly involved in disregarding court judgments related to these zones. He warns that the cumulative impact of these issues could have severe consequences for Surat, with residents potentially facing dire situations due to neglect of the city’s infrastructure needs.