From Devastation to Revival: How Morbi Rose from the 1979 Dam Disaster That Killed 25,000

This is the same Morbi—situated on the banks of the rebuilt Machchu dam—that was completely devastated on 11 August 1979 by a massive flood in the Machchu River. That day, it was as if the entire industrial town had been swept away. More than 25,000 people lost their lives, factories turned into scrap, road and rail links were severed, and telephone poles were swept far away.

At the time, Gujarat Chief Minister Babubhai Jashbhai Patel, with air services suspended, chose to reach Morbi via Kutch. His administrative acumen can be gauged from the fact that he established contact through HAM radio with Home Guard Commandant Ushakant Mankad, and from there began issuing instructions to the entire state.

The Chief Minister ordered that electric poles from different parts of Gujarat be dismantled and sent to Morbi. Cement and sandbags were brought in from across the state, and work to plug the breaches in the dam began on a war footing. He deputed a junior IAS officer, Ramrakhyani, to the Morbi relief camp and vested him with full financial and administrative authority.

No files were moved, no official seal affixed. The order was written on plain paper—

“As Chief Minister, I take full responsibility.”

Within 24 hours, road connectivity via Rajkot was restored. Power supply resumed, and within 48 hours, water supply was also reinstated.

Corpses lay across roads and alleys. RSS volunteers engaged in performing last rites. Mass cremations were carried out.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteers had taken it upon themselves to deliver aid. At that time, full-time RSS pracharak Narendra Modi was in Chennai with senior leader Nana Ji. As soon as he heard the news, he immediately began relief work in Morbi.

During the Morbi dam tragedy, standing with the people led to increased acceptance of the RSS, and it was from there that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) began to emerge as a powerful force.

This was the first time Narendra Modi made a public appearance. After that, he never looked back. Years later, he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also visited—she had to walk through streets lined with bodies. Kiritbhai Pathak, a former student of Rajkot’s Malaviya College, recalls that Indira Gandhi visited the NSUI relief camp located at Trikon Bagh.

By the end of the 1980s, the Machchu dam was rebuilt. Outside the Mani Mandir, a memorial was established in memory of those who died in the tragedy. Even today, on every 11th of August, it is remembered.

Today, that same Morbi has become a vibrant city. Rich in ceramic and watchmaking industries, the town has now become a full-fledged district.

The Morbi model shows that if there is political will, the barriers of red tape and bureaucratic hurdles can be broken during times of disaster.

Morbi ceramic industry has suffered a major set back as USA has imposed 25 per cent tariff on ceramic products exported from Morbi which exports products worth Rs 2600 crores.