Gujarat: Will relief promises be kept?

Despite announcements by Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi that flood affected people will receive a total of Rs 1 lakh compensation communities are concerned that promises will again be broken.

Javed Ameer from ActionAid’s Gujarat team says their concerns are well placed.

“A total of 16,315 families in Sunderanagar district are still waiting for relief packages declared after the Vadod and Vasovo dams overflowed back in 2005,” he says.

In 2005, rains had damaged 239000 hectares of land in the state. In 2006, relentless rains for one month immediately after the sowing of crops had led to heavy losses for farmers.

“Many families could not recover from successive losses of two years and 147 farmers committed suicide,” says Ameer.

This year’s toll

The 2007 monsoon death toll has reached 122 since torrential rains hit Gujarat on June 30. More than 11000 villages across 17 districts are staggering under the onslaught of rains. The worst-hit districts are Narmada, Surat Surendranagar, Vadodara, Junagadh, Jamnagar and Rajkot.

Eighty thousand people were evacuated from their homes and more than 4500 houses destroyed. Crops in lakhs of hectares are damaged and power supply to 2000+ villages disrupted. (July 6)

Dalits and tribals in dire need

Surveys were conducted by ActionAid and local partner organisations – Behavioural Science Centre, MARAG and Bhal Mahila CCS – in four districts to help inform the response.

“The poorest dalit and tribal communities are the ones in most urgent need of relief, particularly food and medicines,” reported Ameer.

Dam mismanagement

Flooding in Gujarat has been aggravated by release of water from dams which were already choking with excess water before the monsoon started. read more