2006 Gujarat flood was man-made disaster: PCGF Report

Ahmedabad, July 10 (UNI) People's Committee on Gujarat Floods-2006 (PCGF), a fact finding committee set up by two non-governmental organisations, has concluded that last year's floods were a made-made disaster.

The floods had marooned the entire Surat city and south and central Gujarat and had claimed over 250 lives, in direct and indirect rain-related incidents, besides causing immense loss to property.

The PCGF, formed by the two NGOs -- Narmada Abhiyaan and Gujarat Sarvodaya Mandal, was headed by retired Gujarat High Court Chief Justice R A Mehta. The report says the 2006 Gujarat floods were a result of the State Government's ineptness.

Talking to reporters here today, Justice Mehta said, ''The marooning of Surat city and district and other areas of Gujarat could have been averted if the release of Narmada water from Ukai dam had been started 36-42 hours earlier with a rationalised flow rather than releasing 9 lakh cusecs of water from August 7 that was increased to 11 lakh cusecs within 24 hours.'' He said, the Surat administration had instructed the Ukai dam authorities to release the water gradually but they failed to follow it.

In its report, the committee has concluded that the wrong policies of the Gujarat Government to fill the dams to its maximum capacity in attempt to avoid shortage of drinking and irrigation waters had caused the floods.

Justice Mehta said nearly 150 people had died in the floods while over 100 others had died in post-flood epidemic of leptospirosis.

The flood's direct and indirect monetary losses has been estimated at Rs 16,000 crore, of which Rs 9,500-cr was in form of direct damages and Rs 6,500 crore in form of lost production.

Textile and diamond industries are believed to have suffered losses to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore and 2,600 crore respectively. Both these industries are largely small scale or home based, he added.

The committee has suggested that to avoid reccurence of such floods in future, the State Government should develop a basin-level management plan, an integrated package of water retention measures and flood impact mitigation and flood protection, among other things.

UNI