In the 1994 flood, River Tapti (locally called Tapi) flowing at 97.64 feet (above the mean sea level) at Hope bridge had submerged 20 per cent of its area under 5 to 8 feet sheet of water and affected 50,000 people. In the last month's flood, the river flowing at 102.55 feet over the same bridge inundated as much as 60 per cent of the city's total 112 sq km area under 12 to 15 feet of water and affected 7.50 lakh people.

A visit through the low lying areas of the city -- particularly Rander, Adajan, Ved Road and Katargam -- revealed that the people do not have much anger against the post-flood rescue or relief operations. Their main ire is against the authorities for the failure to alert the people in time.

On September 15, the people wereindeed pre-warned about the release of water from Ukai dam but were told the intensity would be less than that in 1994. By the time the swirling water released from the dam reached Surat next day, it engulfed far wider and higher reaches. With the city having returned to normalcy, city municipal commissioner S Jagdeesan told The Financial Express on Saturday, "Floods are natural disasters. Disaster management plans are also okay. But, at least the last two floods have served us a warning to prepare a long-term plan to `prevent' floods."

He pointed out that the recent as well as earlier floods were caused not due to rain in and around Surat city but due to heavy rain in the catchment area of Ukai dam. "We have submitted to Gujarat Government a four-pronged contingency plan and on the top of the agenda is to establish co-ordination between the State Irrigation Department and SMC. And it would not cost a dime," he said.

The Cabinet with Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel in chair, besides Finance MinisterVajubhai Vala and Water Supply Minister Narottam Patel in attendance, are learnt to have discussed the issue at Gandhinagar on Friday.

"While the Ukai dam, basically generating hydel power and providing water for irrigation, is maintained by Irrigation department and there are about 20 weather stations in the upstream to monitor water inflow into the dam every hour," Jagdeesan said, "there is no system by which the SMC comes to know about the inflow and outflow situation of the dam, not even once a day."

The other plan is to increase the water carrying capacity of Tapti near Surat by removing the riverside encroachment of 8,000 hutments to build semi-pucca residential units at alternative sites at a cost of Rs 90 crores. While the state government could provide 33 per cent subsidy, HUDCO loan could be arranged for the displaced persons. He said that NGOs and religious organisations could be encouraged to maintain parks and gardens in the vacated riverside to check fresh encroachment.

The third plan isto build embankments on either side of the river at a cost of another Rs 90 crores. If the state government shared 33 per cent of the cost, he said, SMC could raise the balance money through its internal resources and execute the project as well.

The last plan is to put sluice gates into 14 stormwater drain outlets pouring into the river at different points. Each gate would cost about Rs 7 to 8 lakhs. He recalled that tenders were issued after 1994 flood also but left at that stage.

Surtis now recall, the 1994 flood was caused due to about 5 lakh cusec of water released from the Ukai dam, 80 km upstream. It took the authorities nearly a month to clean the debris and trails of destruction, left scores of people dead in pneumonic plague and, the worst, sent lakhs of people scurrying to places as far as Delhi.