SURAT, Sept 28: A public interest petition seeking action against the authorities for failing to prevent the flood in Surat has been filed in Gujarat High Court.A division bench of justices K G Balkrishnan and M H Quadri on Monday issued notices to the State government, the Irrigation Department secretary, the Surat district collector, the Surat municipal commissioner, in-charge chief engineer of the Ukai dam and the Central Water Commission, and made them returnable on September 15.Filed by vice-chairman of the Bar Council of Gujarat and South Gujarat University Syndicate member Hoshang Mirza, the petition contended that the calamity was man-made. One of the main purposes of the dam was controlling floods by regulating the flow of water, the PIL said, alleging that when the floods occurred, however, all senior officers in charge of the dam were on leave simultaneously.Moreover, it alleged, despite warnings that water inflow would increase in the wake of heavy rains in the catchment areas at Burhanpur, the water was not released gradually, but at one go.Representing the petitioner, advocates Jitubhai Nanavati and Vikram Trivedi claimed that instead of alerting the people, the district collector said during an interview on a local cable network that the water level would not cross the level reached in 1994.The disaster had cost the city crores of rupees, had claimed many a life and rendered thousands homeless and jobless, the petition said, alleging that there was no coordination among various relief agencies. It described as a publicity stunt Union Textile Minister Kashiram Rana's act of releasing food packets from a helicopter.Further, it said, helicopters were used more for joyrides and views of the Tapi in spate than relief work. Councillors, too, moved around in boats, the petition said, adding that all this had triggered the public ire against ministers, MLAs and councillors.Moreover, the PIL said, the Surat Municipal Corporation had taken no initiative on the master plan prepared after the 1994 floods. Sluice gates and valves had not been fixed on the river-end of the stormwater drains or sewerage lines, it alleged, adding that the embankment scheme had never been completed either. At several places embankment has been damaged but the departments concerned are passing the buck to each other, it said.The petition also alleged that though the river had silted considerably, it had never been dredged, sparking floods even when the discharge of water was not particularly high. Though the chief minister had stayed back to supervise the relief operation, he had been misled by bureaucrats, the petition said, praying for a directive to the state government to take action against Ukai dam authorities or the Surat collector, or whoever was responsible for the flood, under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant sections and initiate criminal proceedings against them.It has also prayed that the incomplete embankment scheme be taken up immediately; the river be dredged.
