• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Vinod Mathew

WHAT is the one calamity that wreaks maximum damage on the mega cities of Gujarat? Look back on that unfortunate Republic Day of 2001 and one would be inclined to say, earthquake. But, then, what about the ides of March that came in the guise of communal riots this year? Surely, it must be the debilitating hot summer when the mercury soars dangerously close to the 50 degree Celsius mark.

The answer is a firm `nay' against each of these alternatives as it takes but one look at what two days of delayed monsoon showers have done to disrupt normal life in these cities. Given that 20-odd lives have already been lost, much property damaged and the entire logistics of travel thrown out of gear, one would be inclined to vote the rain god as the biggest villain. Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat — they are all up there in the reckoning as minor, if not major, metros of the country. Come earthquake or riots, the people have by and large coped as the basic infrastructure in these cities is quite resilient. But it is a few inches of rains that seem to undo all the good work these cities have put up in the form of quality roads, impeccable public transport system and a well-groomed demeanour.

All this comes to nought once the much invoked and sought-after rains actually fall here. Then it is a sight to behold and one quite similar to the collapsed buildings that were a trademark shot of the quake-hit towns. In this case, instead of the buildings, it is the well-carpeted roads that give way at critical junctions and simply fall apart in a matter of hours.

One quite does not understand why it is that the city administrators here are caught wanting each monsoon. Clearly, it seems to be a case of wishful thinking from the managers of these metros — they keep wishing away the very real prospect called good monsoons on the strength of history that more often than not has been quite unfavourable to Gujarat. But it was only in July 2000 that a single day's rain wreaked much havoc in Ahmedabad, the damage to the business community then being put at a stiff Rs 600 crore.

Ironically, it is a State that has found itself woefully short of rains the past many years and an investment-heavy venture like the Sardar Sarovar Project has been forced on it precisely because of this. While the State government is quite savvy about the need to sink much capital in a massive canal network to carry the Narmada water across Gujarat, it has for reasons unknown, chosen to ignore the basic amenity called a sound drainage system. The resilience of the people of the city had come for much acclaim as it shook off the trauma of a killer quake in a matter of months. But the flip side of this is a tolerance level that verges on the lackadaisical when it comes to matters like flooding of an entire city due to a few hours of incessant rains.

The collective wisdom of the people point out the improbability of it happening in the next 50 years and that is good enough, till the next time it rains. It is this explicit trust in the law of averages that is most commonly expressed sentiment in this part of the country after each calamity, whether it be a quake, riot or flood. At the end of the monsoon season, the one message that emanates loud and clear from Gujarat is that the country may be ripe for a long-term dalliance with the rain, but we, here would gladly settle for a one-night stand.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section
Will the cup cheer now?

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line