On 11 August 1979 at about 3:00 PM, the Machhu-II Dam upstream of Morvi catastrophically failed, unleashing a wall of floodwater that destroyed homes, markets, schools and roads and, according to estimates cited by the eyewitness here, killed roughly 55,000 people. The author, a newly admitted production engineering student at Lukhdhirji Engineering College in Morvi, was among those caught in the sudden surge; a split-second decision to flee from the hostel ground floor to the fourth floor proved to be the difference between life and death.
Days of relentless monsoon rain had left the dam under extreme pressure before it gave way that afternoon. The flood swept through the town with such speed and force that there was virtually no warning, leaving thousands little or no chance to escape. From the fourth floor, survivors watched a torrent carry away houses, vehicles, livestock and people while desperate cries for help filled the air.
For three days the author and others remained stranded on the roof of the hostel with almost no food, very little drinking water, no electricity and no means of communication. Fear, hunger and uncertainty were constant companions even as neighbours and strangers comforted one another, shared scant supplies and prayed for rescue. When aid finally arrived and the waters receded, Morvi lay under thick layers of mud and debris: collapsed buildings, missing bridges and streets unrecognizable beneath the wreckage.
The scale of loss left an indelible mark on the author’s life. Surviving the disaster at a young age reshaped his outlook, instilling a deep belief in the value of life, the need for resilience and the importance of responsible governance and engineering. He writes that infrastructure is not merely concrete and steel but a means to protect human lives, and that safety, maintenance and management are sacred responsibilities.
That experience guided his later public service-roles at the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation, the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship and as managing director of NERAMAC-where he focused on building institutions and disaster preparedness. He also draws a direct emotional link to contemporary flood crises, such as those in Assam, noting that while causes differ, the suffering and need for timely rescue are painfully similar.
Yet the author stresses that Morvi’s story is also one of recovery. From the ruins of 1979 the town rebuilt itself into a prosperous industrial centre and a major manufacturer of ceramic and vitrified tiles, embodying the principle of “Build Back Better.” The memory of Morvi remains a defining chapter: a lesson in loss, resilience and the duty to safeguard lives through better infrastructure and preparedness.
Original Source: https://www.sentinelassam.com/more-news/life/a-survivors-story-the-morvi-dam-disaster-of-11-august-1979
Category: Life
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Publish Date: 2026-07-30 19:50:00
