FLOODS FIX RESPONSIBILITY

 

 

 

The flood-affected residents of the city have sent a representation to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding to fix the responsibility on government officials for negligence that resulted in water-logging and overflow of Ambazari lake after unprecedented rains on September 23. Nearly 20,000 houses in the city submerged under water in the devastating floods. The representation also mentioned raising the ex-gratia payment of compensation to flood-affected families from Rs 10,000 to Rs 5 lakh per family. The residents also urged the State Government to order a judicial enquiry by a committee of three sitting High Court Judges for fact finding and fixing responsibility on government officials who have failed in their duties to protect, preserve, rejuvenate Ambazari Lake, Dam and Naag River even after getting a sanction of Rs 2,117 crore from the Central Government. Heavy downpour in the wee hours of October 23 in the catchment area of Ambazari Lake caused the lake to overflow. However, just the heavy could not have caused the flood. It is the limited space for the flow of excess water in the Naag River that caused the flood, which submerged the nearby residential areas of the city.

 

In their representation, the affected citizens expressed their pain and helplessness to the government. The failure to maintain the ‘outflow’ of the water through Naag River the flood took place. The water logging in residential areas like Purohit Layout, Ambazari Layout, Kasturba Layout, Samata Layout, Yashwant Nagar, Daga Layout, Corporation Colony, Dandige Layout, Shankar Nagar and several other areas happened not because of the rains but for the flow of water that came through Naag River. The flow of that water was such that it wrecked havoc among the residents who left helpless after the incident. The unusual water logging for ten hours from 4 am to 2 pm on October 23 resulted in huge monetary loss to the citizens. After the flood the people had no choice but to watch their furniture, fridge, washing machine, clothes, valuables, food grains in the house get submerged under flood water. The situation was so horrible that citizens were made to suffer without electricity, drinking water and without food for almost 24 hours. The flood that day claimed four lives and left thousands shocked to see their valuable goods being destroyed in water logging in their houses, offices and shops.

 

In the representation the victims pointed out the inaction of the local administration which caused huge damage to private properties. It said, “The local administration has failed to clean and maintain Naag River before the monsoon and due to which the flood took place.” It also mentioned about failure to utilise the Central Government’s fund of Rs 2,117 crore for Ambazari Lake and Naag River rejuvenation project. Illegal construction of concrete wall of eight feet in height and hundred feets in length by Maha Metro on the Naag River within 100 meters from Ambazari Dam which is a no construction zone. The citizens also raised the issue of illegal construction of Vivekanand Memorial within 50 meters of Ambazari overflow point by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) which is also a no construction zone, resulting in big obstacle of smooth water flow from Ambazari overflow point. The affected citizens also raised the demand to conduct immediate structural audit of Ambazari Lake and Naag River to check the condition of the water bodies and also to mitigate future such incidences during monsoon. They also urged to shift the Vivekanand Memorial from the overflow point for smooth flowing of water of the lake.