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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox flood
| name = Morbi Dam Failure
| image = 1979 Morbi disaster.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Failed earthen embankment of Machchhu-2 dam
| alt =
| date = {{date|1979|08|11|df=y}}
| duration =
| total damages = Estimated {{INRConvert|100|c|year=1979}}<ref name="Noorani1979" />
| total damages (USD) =
| total fatalities = 1,800-25,000 (estimated)<ref name="Noorani1984"/>
| areas affected = [[Morbi]] and villages of [[Rajkot district]], [[Gujarat]], [[India]]
}}

<mapframe text="Location of Machhu dam and [[Morbi]]" width="250" height="250" zoom="11" longitude="70.84" latitude="22.79">
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"type": "Feature",
"properties": { "marker-symbol": "dam", "marker-size": "small", "title": "Machhu dam" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [70.865833, 22.763889] }
},

{
"type": "Feature",
"properties": { "marker-symbol": "town", "marker-size": "small", "title": "[[Morbi]]" },
"geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [70.83, 22.82] }
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The '''Machchhu dam failure''' or '''Morbi disaster''' is a dam-related flood disaster which occurred on 11 August 1979. The Machchu-2 [[dam]], situated on the [[Machchhu River|Machchhu river]], failed, sending a wall of water through the town of [[Morbi]] (now in the [[Morbi district]]) of [[Gujarat]], [[India]].<ref name="Noorani1979">{{cite journal |last1=Noorani |first1=A. G. |date=25 August 1979 |title=The Inundation of Morvi |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=14 |issue=34 |pages=1454 |jstor=4367866 }}</ref> Estimates of the number of people killed vary greatly ranging from 1,800 to 25,000 people.<ref name="Noorani1984">{{cite journal |last1=Noorani |first1=A. G. |date=21 April 1984 |title=Dissolving Commissions of Inquiry |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=19 |issue=16 |pages=667–668 |jstor=4373178 }}</ref><ref name="Dept">{{cite book|author=World Bank. Environment Dept|title=Environmental assessment sourcebook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QtSvTSHVxeQC&pg=PA86|publisher=World Bank Publications|isbn=978-0-8213-1845-4|page=86|year=1991}}</ref><ref name="ol">{{cite news | url=http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/the-loudest-crash-of-79/281980 | title=The Loudest Crash Of '79 | work=Outlook India | date=27 August 2012 | accessdate=6 March 2013 | author=S.B. Easwaran}}</ref>

== The Machchu II dam ==
The first dam on Machchhu river, named Machchhu I, was built in 1959 having [[Drainage basin|catchment area]] of {{convert|730|km2|mi2}}. The Machchhu II dam was constructed at downstream of Machchhu I in 1972 and has a catchment area of {{convert|1929|km2|mi2}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Machchhu River|url=http://guj-nwrws.gujarat.gov.in/showpage.aspx?contentid=1647&lang=English|accessdate=28 December 2017|publisher=Narmada, Water Resources and Water Supply Department, [[Government of Gujarat]]}}</ref>

It was a [[Embankment dam|earthfill dam]]. The dam was meant to serve an irrigation scheme. Considering the long history of [[drought]] in [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra region]], the primary purpose consideration at the time of design was water supply, not flood control. It consisted of a masonry [[spillway]] of {{Convert|206|m|ft}} consisting 18 sluice gates across the river section and long earthen embankments on both sides. The [[spillway]] capacity provided for {{convert|5663|m3/s|ft3/s}}.<ref name="Polavaridi">{{cite web|url=http://profshivajirao.googlepages.com/polavaramdam-1|title=Polavaram Dam Failure Kills 45 Lakhs of People|author=Rao, Professor T. Shivaji|accessdate=9 January 2012}}</ref> The embankments were of {{Convert|2345|m|ft|abbr=}} and {{Convert|1399|m|ft|abbr=}} of length on left and right side respectively.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Vijay|first=Nagendra|date=October 2008|title=Safari Magazine, Issue 173|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/17284621/Safari-173|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-08-03|website=Scribd|page=15-23|language=Gujarati}}</ref> The embankments had a 6.1 m top width, with upstream and downstream slopes 1:3 (V:H) and 1:2 respectively; and a clay core extending through alluvium to bedrock. The upstream face consisted of 61 cm small gravel and a 61 cm hand packed rip-rap. The dam stood {{convert|22.6|m|ft}} above the river bed and its overflow section was {{convert|164.5|m|ft}} long. The reservoir had a storage capacity of {{convert|101020|dam3|acre-feet|sigfig=3|abbr=off}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usbr.gov/ssle/damsafety/documents/RCEM-CaseHistories2015.pdf|title=RCEM Case History Compilation}}</ref>

==Failure==
The failure was caused by excessive rain and massive flooding leading to the disintegration of the earthen walls of the four kilometre long Machchhu-2 dam. The actual observed flow following the intense rainfall reached 16,307 m<sup>3</sup>/s, thrice what the dam was designed for, resulting in its collapse. The {{Convert|762|m|ft|abbr=}} of left and {{Convert|365|m|ft|abbr=}} of right embankment of dam were collapsed.<ref name=":0" /> Within 20 minutes the floods of {{convert|12|to|30|ft|m|abbr=on}} height inundated the low-lying areas of Morbi industrial town located 5 km below the dam.<ref name="Polavaridi" />

Around 3.30 pm the tremendous swirling flow of water stuck the Morbi. Water level rises to {{Convert|30|ft|m|abbr=}} within next 15 minutes and some low lying areas of city were under {{Convert|20|ft|m|abbr=}} of water for next 6 hours.<ref name="Noorani1979" />

The Morbi dam failure was listed as the worst dam burst in the ''[[Guinness Book of Records]]''<ref>{{cite book |date= October 1986|title=Guinness, El Libro de los Récords |trans-title= Guinness Book the Records |language= Spanish|location= Mexico|publisher= Ediciones Maeva, S.A.|isbn=978-968-458-366-5}}</ref> (before the death toll of the [[Banqiao Dam#1975 Banqiao Dam Flood|1975 Banquiao Dam failure]] was declassified in 2005).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://english.people.com.cn/200510/01/eng20051001_211892.html|title=People's Daily Online -- After 30 years, secrets, lessons of China's worst dams burst accident surface|access-date=2018-04-26}}</ref> The book ''No One Had A Tongue To Speak'' by Tom Wooten and Utpal Sandesara debunks the official claims that the dam failure was an [[act of God]] and points to structural and communication failures that led to and exacerbated the disaster.<ref name="iex">{{cite news | url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/book-on-1979-morbi-dam-disaster-rubbishes-act-of-god-theory/979087/0 | title=Book on 1979 Morbi dam disaster rubbishes 'Act of God' theory | newspaper=[[The Indian Express]] | date=25 July 2012 }}</ref> There was great economic loss. The flood damaged the farmland, leading to a decrease in productivity of crops.

The book by Wooten and Sandesara gives a vivid first person account of many survivors. It narrates how people scrambled for rooftops, hilltops, and other safe grounds in order to save themselves. Over a hundred people took shelter in Vajepar Ram Mandir but later the deluge submerged them with the temple. Women were compelled to drop their babies into the furious surge in order to save themselves and people lost their loved ones in a flash.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/machhu-dam-disaster-1979-gujarat-discussion-book-tom-wooten-and-utpal-sandesara|title=Machhu dam disaster of 1979 in Gujarat – Discussion on a book by Tom Wooten and Utpal Sandesara|url-status=live}}</ref>

During reconstruction of the dam the capacity of the spillway was increased by four times and fixed at about 21,000 m<sup>3</sup>/s.<ref name="Polavaridi" />

==Popular culture==
The upcoming Gujarati disaster film ''Machchhu'' is based on the Machchu dam failure.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/gujarati/movies/news/machchhu-a-real-life-tragic-story-is-all-set-to-release/articleshow/65081425.cms|title=Machchhu: A real life tragic story is all set to release - Times of India|website=The Times of India|language=en|access-date=2020-04-19}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/feb/13arvind.htm The saffron flutters high, yet again]

{{coord|22|45|50|N|70|51|57|E|region:IN-GJ_type:waterbody_source:kolossus-dewiki|display=title}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=Dam failures, 1979 in India, Dams in Gujarat, History of Gujarat (1947–present), Morbi district, Floods in Gujarat
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[[Category:Dam failures]]
[[Category:1979 in India]]
[[Category:Dams in Gujarat]]
[[Category:History of Gujarat (1947–present)]]
[[Category:Morbi district]]
[[Category:Floods in Gujarat]]

1979 Machchhu dam failure - Revision history

MetaBOT at 14:59, 8 July 2023