AHMEDABAD: Amid a blame game by political parties over floods in parts of Gujarat, the Brackish Water Research Centre, which has been operating in the state since 2003, has said it was a “man-made disaster”. Brackish Water Research Centre works to safeguard the maritime environment for the benefit of coastal communities.
In an email to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, it accused the state government of causing the flood in Bharuch. The lengthy mail blamed “human negligence” for the flood in Bharuch.
“The Central Water Commission provided the most important prediction and statistical information for the Sardar Sarovar Dam to officials of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Corporation on September 17 and 18. It was projected that 33,000 cumex (11 lakh cusec) of water would be released. In comparison, the greatest inflow was 63,950 cumex (22.58 lakh cusecs). Almost double the quantity projected entered the dam, causing the dam’s operation to degrade. For this, the Gujarat government must raise the matter of the Central Water Commission’s erroneous or low estimations with the Central government and it is expected that the state government will do so,” Brackish Water Research Centre said.
The institute further said that if the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Corporation had planned from September 14, this water cover might have been managed. These floods are almost certainly “man-made”, it added.
The available statistics show that corporation officials did not continuously monitor the IMD weather forecast, rainfall figures, CWC figures, and upland flows, and did not take essential precautionary steps.
Brackish Water Research Center’s President and environment activist MSH Saikh told this newspaper: “On September 14, the gates of the Narmada’s Bargi Dam were already open. According to the CWC, by late evening on September 15, the levels of the Narmada’s Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar dams had begun to rise. Both the Omkareshwar and Indira Sagar dams were nearing their FRL (Full Reservoir Level) till late on September 15 when Birdie Dam reached the FRL. All of these high levels were definitely above the rule curve limit. When the corporation realised this, it did nothing.”
According to Brackish, Sardar Sarovar Dam administrators may have filled the dam to 138.68 meters FRL to show the Chief Minister that the dam is full. Officials might have done this to receive promotions or political directions, the mail to the CM said.
After the water level approached the FRL, the water cover became so dense that the Corporation was forced to release water and it created a flood, which necessitates clarification and research, the institute said.
Brackish also asked the CM to order an investigation into whether or not the CM, who visited the Narmada River on September 17, was deceived by the administration of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam.
Opposition Congress had alleged the state’s BJP government refused to release the water from the dam when farmers needed it. It stored the water so that the reservoir overflowed on September 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, Congress alleged.