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Concerned Citizens' Commission
An
Enquiry into the Mumbai Floods, 2005
Few Mumbaikars were left untouched or unaffected by
the devastating floods that hit the city from July 26 onwards. After the
grief and shock has come an overwhelming sense of anger and the urgent
need to know what actually happened, why civic life remained disrupted
for so many days and what lessons can be learned, so that a repeat
catastrophe is avoided.
With this in mind, a coalition of citizen's groups
from across the length and breadth of the city announce the formation of
the Concerned Citizens' Commission – An Enquiry into the Mumbai
Floods, 2005. The Commission consists of an eminent Panel of nine
members. They will be assisted by NGOs and those who have been involved
in the relief efforts at the grass roots level, as well as others with
knowledge of disaster management, urban planning, administration,
ecology and other relevant fields.
Through a series of public hearings and depositions
from common Mumbaikars, urban planning experts, government officials and
others, the Panel will piece together the events leading up to the
tragedy, identify and hold accountable those responsible for inaction
and mismanagement and make a set of recommendations.
The CCC will also look into the causes of the
flooding, the response from government and other agencies and how our
future urban planning can ensure that the damage from future 'natural
disasters', compounded by human factors, can be mitigated.
The Panel will consist of:
1. Justice P.B. Sawant (Retired Supreme Court Judge)
2. Ms. Teesta Setalvad (Citizens for Justice and
Peace)
3. Mr. Shyam Chainani (Bombay Environmental Action
Group)
4. Mr. Sharad Kale (Former Municipal Commissioner of
Mumbai)
5. Mr. Nasser Munjee (Expert on Urban
Infrastructure)
6. Mr. Darryl D'Monte (Environmental
Journalist)
7. Mr. Chandrashekhar Prabhu (Architect & Town
Planner)
8. Ms. Pushpa Bhave (Academic)
9. Mr. Datta Ishwalkar (Girni Kamgar Sangharsh
Samiti)
10. Mr. Suresh Bhosale
The Terms of Reference of the CCC are:
1. To develop a reliable picture of the floods in
Greater Mumbai and document what actually took place, the extent of
damage to lives and dignity of persons, along with a detailed
examination of property loss and damage, linked critically to the issue
of relief and compensation.
2. To determine the causes and factors that led to
the flooding, including the role of the state executive, government and
administration in implementing the Disaster Management Plan.
3. To understand the role of the MCGB and the State
police – in pre-empting, containing and controlling damage to life and
property.
4. To recommend a set of
measures to better anticipate natural calamities and to minimize their
impact; as also to ensure that Disaster Management Plans are implemented
more effectively.
5. To identify in particular those responsible for
inaction and hold them accountable.
6. To ensure effective citizen participation in
the planning of the city and in Disaster Management.
7. Any other relevant matters that the Panel may
decide to include.
The CCC calls on all those with relevant information
to share to send their submissions to
[email protected] and
[email protected]
and to CCC, c/o Citizens for Justice and Peace, Nirant, Juhu Tara Road,
Juhu, Mumbai 400 049.
The CCC intends to release its Report within three
months. The Report will then be available to the public to initiate
follow up and remedial action with the State Government, BMC and other
relevant authorities, as well as citizens' groups.
Debi Goenka Cyrus Guzder
Gerson da Cunha
The Concerned Citizens' Commission is endorsed
by the following groups:
Bombay Environmental Action Group
Citizens For Justice and Peace (CJP)
Girangoan Rozgar Hakk Samiti
Shahid Bhagwat Jadhav Samiti Kendra
Conservation Action Trust
National Association of People's Movement (NAPM),
BNHS
NAGAR
Apnalaya
Nivara Hakk Suraksha Samiti
Girangoan Rozgar Hakk Samiti
Citispace
Clean Air
Bombay Catholic Sabha
Voice Of The Exploited (VOTE),
All India Catholic Union (AICU)
Friends of Society
SEED
People's Union for Human Rights (PUHR)
KHOJ
National Welfare Society
ACHRA and Welfare Education Trust
All India Human Rights & Citizens Option
Communalism Combat
Mangrove Society of India
Marine Drive Residents Association
Oval Cooperage Nariman Point Association
Nirmala Niketan
Rashtriya Yuva Sangathan
Sarvoday International Trust
Mohalla Committee
Prayas
Apnalaya
Ration Kruti Samiti, Mumbai
Majlis
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