For a state so inundated by calamity-natural and man-made-in the recent past, Gujarat had every right to hope for an uneventful 2005. But midway through the year, in an almost malicious elemental subversion, the state was struck by a monstrous monsoon not witnessed in almost four decades. With 60 per cent of the state submerged in flood waters, more than 150 people dead and two crore trapped, losses worth Rs 10,000 crore (according to initial estimates) and rescue operations stalled by incessant rains, Gujarat is in the grip of a never-ending nightmare. So Chief Minister Narendra Modi wasn't too far off when he said that "an aerial tsunami had wreaked havoc in Gujarat".

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ADRIFT: People in Surat engage in rescue efforts as others watch

Having recorded almost 50 per cent of its average annual rainfall in just one week, the damage to government, industrial and private property, besides the trauma caused by the floods, ranks next only to the 2001 earthquake. Facing the brunt are the poor in both urban and rural areas, their belongings swept away by the waters of local rivers like the Vatrak, Vishwamitri and Shedhi. The ravaged areas include the central and south Gujarat and parts of Saurashtra, with as many as 19 of the 26 districts and 168 of the 225 tehsils partially or severely affected.

The worst hit city may easily be Vadodara, the former princely state and the cultural capital of Gujarat. With a breach in the Pratappura lake located on the city's outskirts, Vadodara-better known for its public-sector undertakings IPCL, Gujarat Refinery and GNFC-turned into a watery grave for almost a week, with low-lying as well as the higher areas submerged in 4-15 ft of water.

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WATERY GRAVE: Like the rest of the state, Kheda district is under water

The city's misery was compounded by the fact that on the eve of the monsoons, the state Government posted a new collector and municipal commissioner who had little experience in the region. So even though the army was called in to tackle the emergency, succour was late in arriving and people remained marooned for almost a week, many of them without food. Rail and road transport between Vadodara and Ahmedabad was also disrupted for four days as the connecting Kheda and Anand districts in central Gujarat faced a similar fate, with hundreds of its villages rendered inaccessible. Says Dahyabhai Patel, 79, a retired government employee who has spent a lifetime in Vadodara:

"I have never seen such devastating floods in the city." Vadodara received 50 inch of rain in five days compared with the average annual rainfall of no more than 40 inch.

Meanwhile, the state Government is being accused of a slow response to the crisis. As educationist Rajnikant Jani of Vadodara says, "If the state Government claims to have the best disaster management structure in the country, it could have done a much better job. In fact, its response was sluggish and there was no coordination." In Vadodara, for instance, while more than 50 boats were needed to provide aid to the stranded people, only 20 could be secured. And even as the state lay under water, only 10 helicopters and a mere 1,200 armymen and security personnel were involved in rescue operations.

EXTENT OF DAMAGE

RS 10,000 CRORE: The loss to public and private property caused by the floods, according to initial estimates. 2 CRORE: The total number of people affected by the floods. While 150 are dead, over five lakh have been displaced. 259: The number of highways that have been damaged. Nearly 1,500 panchayat roads have also been destroyed. 5,800: The number of villages in which power supply was disrupted. It has been restored in 5,200, says the Government.

The Government's lackadaisical approach was, however, matched by private enterprise as displayed by Rajesh Sheth, a businessman from Ahmedabad, who managed to reach the Shanti Express at the Dakor railway station. He ended up saving not only his wife Abha but 400 other passengers as well and disproved the local administration's claims that the train was completely inaccessible.

Refuting all charges, Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel says, "The Government moved fast and with proper planning. We helped restore essential services like power and transport in the shortest time possible." According to the Government, of the 5,800 villages where the power supply was disrupted, it was restored in 5,200 villages in three days. Similarly, of the 259 damaged roads, 145 were repaired and opened to traffic in three days. Over 50 per cent of the 1,500 panchayat roads that were affected were also restored in as many days.

The state's claims notwithstanding, the real challenge for the Modi Government will come when the waters recede and a possible epidemic stares it in the face. While the state has received Rs 500 crore as interim relief from the Centre so far, it will need much more just to restore normalcy. The monsoon has clearly dealt a blow to Modi's ambitious plans of good governance faced as he will be with a shortage of funds for his development schemes. His only solace lies in the resilience of Gujarat's people who have resolutely refused to drown in the misfortunes that have befallen the state in the past few years.

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