Irreparable loss to Surat museum in the floods

Surat, Aug 31 (UNI) A large collection of 200-year-old textiles, rare philately and around 100 paintings at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Museum were lost in the devastating floods that hit Surat on August 7.

According to the curator of the museum Bhamini Mahida, the total loss is worth upto Rs 70 lakh.

Curator Bhamini Mahida told UNI that of the 12,000 objects displayed in the museum, around 500 were lost for ever. All these objects were kept on the ground floor which was completely submerged under water.

''We could not save those objects because Monday was a holiday for the museum and water started filling by around 1630 hrs on August seven,'' Ms Mahida said.

''There was 12 feet eight inches of water in the museum which continued for six days,'' she added.

''We could reopen the museum only on August 14, by that time many belongings on the ground floor were almost destroyed,'' the curator said.

The destroyed objects include a rare collection of 200-year-old textiles variety, highly valuable philatelic collection and paintings.

Ms Mahida said that some rare porcelein vessels were also damaged.

Situated in the low-lying areas of Chowk, it is for the sixth time that the museum faces the floods wrath and this time it was the worst, she added.

Museum will reopen after the cleaning and repairing on October 2 official sources informed.

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