Surat: Torrential rain has plunged thousands of families in Surat into a flood crisis. Homes have been swamped, power has been out for days in places, and drinking water and milk are running short leaving residents scrambling to save their belongings and, in some cases, their safety.
Against that backdrop, a video from the Surat Municipal Corporation’s Tapi Bhavan has gone viral: a snack gathering held to celebrate the appointment of new committee chairpersons and vice-chairpersons. For flood-hit residents watching their neighborhoods go underwater, the timing has landed like a slap.
Locals point out that people barely 500 metres from the BJP office have been waiting two days for help while stranded in floodwater. “Leaders come door-to-door seeking votes during elections,” several residents said. “Where have they disappeared when people need help the most?”
The last two days of heavy rain have caused creek flooding and serious waterlogging across Surat. Floodwater has poured into thousands of homes, ruining possessions built up over years. Several residential complexes have lost power, and residents are still short on drinking water, milk, and other basics.
That’s the frustration the Tapi Bhavan video walked into. It shows BJP office-bearers, the newly appointed chairpersons and vice-chairpersons, and their supporters at a snack party celebrating the committee appointments while much of the city was still underwater.
In Udhna, residents of Lalinagar, Balaji Nagar, Shrinathji Nagar and Sai Nagar all within roughly 500 metres of the BJP office have been dealing with creek floodwater for two straight days. Hundreds of families there say help hasn’t come, despite how close they are to party headquarters. They point to the contrast: BJP leaders show up at their doorsteps often enough during election season, they say, but have been nowhere to be found now that people are trapped by rising water.
The backlash to the video has been swift. With large parts of Surat still submerged and residents still fighting to clear their homes and find basic supplies, many see the gathering as tone-deaf at best.
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