People's Democracy

MAHARASHTRA

The Horror Of The Floods And The Callous Govt Response!

Kumar Shiralkar

SWEEPING heavy rains and unprecedented floods all over Maharashtra destroyed crops in large tracts of land and devastated many habitats, throwing lakhs of people into miserable conditions. Right from Bhandara district in Vidarbha to Sangli district at the southern most part of the state, and from Nanded district bordering Andhra Pradesh to Nandurbar district in the north-eastern Satapuda ranges, 23 districts had been engulfed in this nature’s fury. Godavri, Krishna, Narmada, Tapti, Vainganga and other rivers flowed brink to brink, and 85 per cent of big, medium and small dams started overflowing in a short spell of time. An alert call was given at many places and the Army was deployed for rescue operations. Roads were blocked; traffic jammed; normal life disrupted. At least 200 people, including children, drowned; hundreds of cattle swept away; villages and towns on the banks of the rivers were encircled by the increasing water levels for days together. Among this wide-spread nature’s anger, once again it was proved that the state government and the administration is incapable of promptly handling such an upheaval of natural calamity, and lacks urgent and efficient disastrous management. 

The inability, lethargy and negligence leading to callousness was vividly observed in Nandurbar district where 356 villages had been ravaged due to continuous torrential rains and unforeseen flood since the beginning of August. Vast areas lying in between the rivers Narmada and Tapti and in the hilly terrain of Satpuda ranges and the parts at the foothills, bore the brunt of this natural calamity. Though the higher authorities in the district say that they issued orders alerting people, the same did not reach the villages and most of the rural poor were unaware of the impending omen. While it was continuously pouring, on the midnight of August 6 two dams, one near village Chirde and the other near village Gadhi-Kathora, could not sustain the huge pressure of the water suddenly collected and swiftly. With the Chirde dam construction itself technically faulty, incomplete and unsound, a heavy rush of water from the upper Ranipur dam led to the collapse of the frontal mud-wall of Chirde dam. The breach thus created allowed thousands of cusecs of water downwards within a short span of time. 

Almost at the same time six percolating tanks in the uphills of Satpuda ranges broke, and the water came down heavily bringing big rock loads and huge stone structures, changing the course of the river Vaki which reaches river Chirde at Fattepur. All these speedily rushing trends and eddy currents of roaring water ran over the habitats and residential areas in many villages. Floods inundated huts and houses in Bhilaties (Adivasi Bhils basties), dalit basties, swallowed the basties of Koli-Mali-Bhoi-Kunbi and Muslim mohallas. These basties were peopled mainly by agricultural workers, poor peasants, small shop holders, unorganised rural workers, sugar cane cutters etc.

Fifty three villages in Shahada and 10 villages in Nandurbar tehsil were the worst hit. Most of the houses in these villages were washed away and the remaining were damaged making them useless. People could save their lives either by fleeing to whatever higher place they found, or by climbing on to their housetops. They stayed there the whole night while everything below and inside their houses was wiped out. Everything was lost. Valuables and belongings, grains and utensils, clothes and cattle. The inundated villages, the collapsed houses, the residue of the extinguished habitats, demolished shops, devastated surroundings, mud-water-dirt-dead bodies of cattle and crying starving children everywhere, reminded one of the Killari earthquake. The pathetic condition of women, disabled and diseased persons in particular could create a sympathetic compassion in everybody’s heart except in the ossified moribund minds of the exploiting classes and of bureaucracy. 

The rural rich in two villages where agricultural workers went on strike last month taunted and abused the rural poor, denying them any help and even preventing whatever help was coming from outside sympathisers.

It was true that many villages like Prakasha, Palaswada, Korit etc were totally cut off due to the encircling water and thick mud stocks till August 11. But where it was possible to approach and provide help and assistance in villages like Padalda, Vaijali, Damarkheda, Dhurkheda, Biladi etc the government administration did not reach at all. Where in the few villages it went, no compensation was extended under the pretext of the pending completion of the so-called panchnama (official enquiry) procedure.

RELIEF OFFERED

At this critical moment CPI(M) local leaders and cadres immediately came forward and took part in relief activities on the one side and started giving mass complaints and demands gathered from the grass-root levels to the concerned government authorities. Charts of the affected families in different categories such as those whose houses were completely destroyed, those whose houses were partially damaged, houses not collapsed but belongings lost due to water in the houses were prepared. A separate chart of widows, divorcees, destitute and disabled persons village-wise were also prepared and computerised data filtering and print-outs taken to hand over to tehsildars.

When initially the Tapti, Narmada and other rivers became furious and non-negotiable, neither security personnel were deployed, nor any rescue operations launched by the government for the first three days. It was only after CPI(M) MPs Brinda Karat and P Madhu pressurised the central government and CPI(M) MLA Narsayya Adam Mastar repeatedly told the chief minister of Maharashtra that the Army jawans arrived and they did an excellent job. The most disturbing thing was that while Army jawans were struggling hard to give every sort of assistance and rescue the suffering lot of people, the state government machinery was enjoying successive holidays on Sunday, on Gokulashtmi festival, and on August 15. They remained absent from duty.

OFFICIAL RELIEF – NIL! 

As the rains continuously slashed it become almost impossible for the flood-ravaged humanity to return to normal or stay at their original house-sites. They had to take resort either at some high level open places or in schools or temples and masjids where the floodwater did not enter. Our Party comrades and activists of the Agricultural Workers Union worked hard, day and night though they themselves had lost their houses and most of them were suffering from chicken guinea viral infection. 

They moved from village to village to meet people and serve them ready-made food and provide the medicines advised by medical practitioners. Nowhere relief camps were opened by the government. It did not even fulfil the demand for temporary shelters and food. On the contrary, Jama Masjid sympathisers when approached by our Party comrades responded promptly and immediately started preparing khichdi in huge quantities. The food was carried to the affected people in rickshaws and tempos owned and driven by the youth unionised under Left trade unions. The vehicle donated by the National Railway Majdoor Union was used to carry clothes, edibles, medicines and other material collected and sent to Shahada from our comrades in Sholapur, Pune, Nashik and Jalana districts. 

A medical doctors team provided by Students Federation of India (SFI) from Pune arrived with full medical kit and moved from village to village, conducting health camps in which hundreds of patients received needed health service. Water purification solution and TCL powder were distributed and precautionary measures were taken to restrict the spread of epidemic diseases with full co-operation from government PHCs. The district health department was an honourable exception in carrying out its duties diligently. Obviously because of this calamity the CPI(M)’s August campaign could not be carried out in the district. Party Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat came to visit and see the situation in the worst-affected areas. Party state secretary Dr Ashok Dhawale and ex-MP Lahanu Kom accompanied her. She visited 13 villages, spoke to the suffering people and addressed people who were eagerly waiting for her at nine places. Wherever she went, women surrounded her and told her of the horrible conditions through which they were going and facing the untold miseries. Brinda Karat talked with them softly, imparting courage and confidence to come out of this fearful crisis and build a new life. She discussed with local comrades and instructed the deputy collector at Nandurbar to implement the urgent demands mentioned in the memorandum. She poignantly pointed out the lacunae and lethargy in government administration, particularly at the lower echelons of the bureaucracy. 

Appreciating the commendable work done by the district collector Jayant Gaikwad, she expressed the urgent need to provide foodgrains and other essential commodities and cash compensation in sufficient quantities to the affected people. She insisted on providing immediate temporary shelters pending the comprehensive rehabilitation at suitable and secure places. She said that she and the CPI(M) would try for a special package for women in particular.

GOVT COMPENSATION

The compensation given to the affected families by the state government has been quite meagre. As per the so-called ‘rules’ only after conducting panchanama each adult person (unit) in a family be given Rs 1000. But the maximum amount would not exceed more than Rs 5000, although in some families the number of adult members is more than five. Children would not get anything. Those whose houses have been totally destroyed would get Rs 4800 to rebuild the house and the family whose house has been partially damaged would get Rs 2400 for repair. The officials announced that every affected family would be entitled to receive 10 kgs of rice, 10 kgs of jowar and 10 litres of kerosene. However, at the time of Brinda Karat’s visit, most people told her that either they had received nothing or only a partial amount. The CPI(M) delegation presented a charter of demands to the district collector, a copy of which was also handed over to the chief minister of Maharashtra. 

According to an official press release issued by the district administration on August 20, out of 15,324 families affected from 356 villages in the district only 4260 families received the said foodgrains and only 2718 families obtained kerosene though they are entitled to get grains and kerosene simultaneously. The compensation in cash distributed was Rs 2.17 crore. And blankets allotted were only 200. This shows the meagre and inadequate supplies from the government side. As the victimised mass comes mainly from the poorest rural toiling strata and from the socially oppressed and downtrodden tribal, dalits and OBCs, the compensation for them decided by the bourgeois-landlord government remains negligible and is looked upon as a dole to beggars! 

PARTY’S MOBILISATION

Our district Party unit has already mobilised the masses to give mass (group) applications from every village and basti demanding the following:

1. Temporary tin shelters and relief camps 

2. Prepared ready-made food till September 15

3. Issuing of new BPL yellow ration cards to each nuclear family 

4. 35 kgs of food-grains and other essential commodities at Antyodaya rates after September 15.

5. Launching of NREGA works immediately with orders to pay wages of Rs 60/- per day. 

6. Rs 10,000 per acre compensation to the peasants who have lost their entire standing crops and alternate land for those whose land has been submerged by the forceful flush of the flood. 

7. Special package for the women, widows and destitute. 

The main, but relatively long-term, vital demand is for the total comprehensive rehabilitation of the people at higher-level secure sites. For this special provision is required. The district committee of the Party would decide the future course of agitation based on the vital demands reverberating in the minds of the people. It would also further plan to support and help the school and college-going students. The relief funds given by the Party centre and clothes and other material collected and received from district units will also be properly distributed. The Party district unit thanked all those who have generously and compassionately donated and extended their support.