August 2024: A Reflection on the Gujarat Floods and Our Role in Preventing Disasters

Today, almost all of Gujarat is experiencing severe flooding due to heavy rainfall. We often refer to these floods/water logging problems as man-made disasters, and indeed, they are. Currently, I am residing in Vadodara, which is flooded by the Vishwamitri River from past few days. Vadodara has a history of flooding every 5 to 6 years, last flood which I personally experienced was in 2019, with each occurrence becoming more intense. Intellectuals, the media, and citizens start questioning the Municipal Corporation about urban planning, water drainage management, infrastructure, and more. This scenario is not unique to Vadodara; it happens everywhere—in all cities, towns, and villages of Gujarat, and probably across India.

While citizens have every right to question the government and the corporation—after all, we are taxpayers and they are the managers—sometimes, during disasters, when officials visit affected areas, people show their anger and occasionally misbehave. However, it is rare that officials argue or act rudely in such situations, they are there to help. Nevertheless, citizens often start blaming officials as if they alone are responsible for the disaster.

The rude and anxious behaviour of citizens towards corporation officials or political party members may be justifiable in the moment, as people feel helpless while suffering from a lack of basic amenities like food, water, electricity, sanitation, and internet access. It is very normal for people to express their dissatisfaction with the government during such times.

But the question arises: is the government solely responsible for these floods? Are poor urban planning, disrupted natural water flows, and corruption the only factors leading to these floods? I think the answer is a resounding NO. The government is not the only entity responsible; we, as citizens and humans, are equally responsible for such disasters.

We often demand that the government initiate campaigns to raise awareness, and they do, using every platform possible, from social media to television, radios, and conferences. But the real question is, are we ready to be aware? The answer is that we are already aware of everything. There’s nothing new in what they teach or explain to raise awareness. The methods may be modern, but the goal remains the same: to save, protect, and conserve, which all point to sustainability. Those who have studied at least up to the 6th standard are already familiar with these concepts. Even those who have never attended school are aware because, before modern communication platforms in India, we had stories passed down from our grandparents and parents, where the moral often led to some form of learning, preaching, or motivation.

As citizens or humans, we cannot claim ignorance of the disruptions caused by poor management. Every individual is aware of the causes and consequences. So, is it right to only blame the government every time? Before pointing fingers, shouldn’t we ask ourselves some questions? What are we doing to promote sustainability, to conserve and protect the environment? Blame is easy and has been a go-to response for ages, but are we not also responsible for floods or such human induced disasters? Forget about tree plantation and biodiversity conservation—have you spared even a few feet of land uncemented in your courtyard, outside your house, society, or anywhere? The answer is likely NO for most citizens, and we have plenty of reasons for this NO: we want sanitation around our premises, we don’t want mud after rains because it will cause diseases, and so on. If we’re not ready to leave a little piece of land for water to soak into the ground, are we good enough to question the management? We want cemented roads, footpaths, courtyards, and now even gardens.

In these floods, some VIPs, so-called social activists, and industrialists have started online campaigns against the Municipal Corporation by signing online petitions any many more things which can gain public and media attention. But is this the only role they play? Why do we forget that they are the ones who often promote corruption? It’s like a man who sells tobacco opening a cancer hospital.

We are not allowing the soil, our mother earth, to breathe. Don’t you think these disasters are due to the suffocation of mother earth? These disasters are man-induced, which means each and every individual is responsible for them, not just the government. So, is it fair to blame only those who are not fully responsible?

As a geographer, I am aware of the importance of floods. You might be shocked, but yes, floods are significant. They replenish the soil, helping farmers achieve better yields as the soil regains its fertility naturally. Floods are beneficial not just for farmers but for the soil as a whole. But the pity is that we have left no patch of natural soil to replenish and give us good flora and fauna in our surroundings. All we want are basements, good parking facilities, and neat, clean courtyards without dust and mud. Earlier, we used to have many trees in our courtyards; now, trees have been replaced by vehicles.

I am not against modern facilities. My motive in writing this article is to stop the blame game. Simply being a taxpayer does not fulfil our duty as a citizen. First, you are a human being, and then a citizen. We are always ready to count our rights when something goes wrong for us, but what about our duties? For a moment, forget about the duties mentioned in our constitution. Don’t we have any duties as humans? We are debtors to the earth; she has given us fresh air to breathe, which we have polluted. She has given us soil to produce food, which we have compacted with cement. It’s like a mother who has nurtured us, and we’ve thrown her into a dark room to suffocate. And when she lashes out, we start blaming a handful of people whom we call the government.

Of course, the government is also responsible for disasters, but so are we. They have not asked us to cement our courtyards; they haven’t asked us to close traditional wells; they haven’t asked us to misuse natural resources. In our homes, our societies, it is our decision to do all these things. So how can we blame only the government? In fact, the government do promote sustainable solutions and provides subsidies for them, like solar roofs, rainwater harvesting systems, underground recharge systems, and more. But are we ready for that too? NO, right? So, it’s high time we became self-aware about our duties and then blamed the government.

No doubt the government has failed in some areas, but remember, they are a handful of people against millions. It is our individual duty to have sustainable thoughts and execute them in our lives. It is written in our scriptures, and also stated by Mahatma Gandhi, that "Be the change you want to see in the world." Change begins from within. So its high time to stop this blame game and start acting on an individual level.

I understand that we cannot undertake large environmental projects as individuals—we all have our own priorities—but wherever possible, try to leave a small patch of land uncemented. Allow that patch to soak in water, and try to plant at least one tree in that small patch of land so water can percolate. It might contribute to decreasing the effects of urban heat islands or waterlogging by at least 0.000001%. Even if the impact is minimal, I still think it’s a good deal. If that’s not possible, try to find alternative solutions, like harvesting water or installing an underground recharge system. Contribute whatever you can on an individual level, and then ask questions.

#Vadodarafloods #Gujaratfloods #Muncipalcorpiration #VMC #Humaninducedisasters #Preventingdisastertogether #Startchangewithin

OURVADODARA Dr Hemang Joshi Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) Government of India (GoI) Narendra Modi Bhupendra Patel Government of Gujarat Epaper TimesofIndia The Sandesh Limited Gujarat Government Hindustan Times OurCity NGOBOX India United Way Of Baroda United Way