Dam-burst survivor not lucky this time

AHMEDABAD: Mumtaz Makwana was just 19 when incessant rainfall, which lasted a week, led to the Machchhu dam burst in 1979 — the worst such disaster according to the Guiness Book of World Records. She lived for 43 more years with the memories of the horror that claimed more than 2,000 lives and left Morbi and surrounding villages flooded.
But destiny was unkind to the 62-yearold this time. The Machchhu turned into a watery grave for 135 people on Sunday after the suspension bridge over it snapped. Among the dead were Mumtaz and two of her family members.
Mumtaz’s son Tarik recalls the stories of Machchhu dam burst that she often shared with him. “She threw in her dupatta and pulled four people out of the flood waters. My mother was brave. Her parents and neighbours were proud of her,” said Tarik, an autorickshaw driver. “She was young and newly married in 1979when the dam burst. My parents sat on the roof of their house on the banks of Machchhu for three days until the waters receded,” he said. It took a long time for the family to recover financially.
On the fateful Sunday evening, Mumtaz, her daughter-in-law Shabana, 28, and grandson Ashahad, 8, decided to go sightseeing at the suspension bridge that had been recently reopened. And they never returned.
Mumtaz’s husband Habib was inconsolable and could not bring himself to speak about her. Tarik, who lost three of his loved ones, only wants justice. “I want stern action against all the responsible people. The loss of family members cannot be compensated,” said Tarik.