Introduction Location and Access

ACCCRN – City Vulnerability Assessment Report 69 5 SURAT – CITY PROFILE

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Location and Access

Surat is an important commercial city in south Gujarat, and is approximately 250 km North of Bombay. The city is located 21°10 N 72°50 E with an altitude of about 13m above mean sea level amsl. Surat was a gateway to the Deccan plateau. Being located at the mouth of Gulf of Khambhat, Surat experiences a tidal range of about 5-6 m. The monthly high tide reaches the western parts of the city. The Surat district is surrounded by Bharuch, Narmada North, Navsari and Dang South districts. To the west of the city is the Gulf of Khambhat. Surat is a port city, the nearest port now is the Hazira located at the mouth of Tapi. Surat has a Tropical Monsoon Climate. Summer temperatures in Surat range from 37 to 44 degrees Celsius with winter temperatures dropping to 22 degrees Celsius. Monsoon begins in June and last till end of September, with the average temperature being around 28 degrees Celsius during those months. Average annual rainfall is approximately 1143 mm. Surat being located in between Ahmedabad and Mumbai has a very good connectivity in terms of road and railways. The Golden Quadrilateral, a highway network connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, passes through Surat. The city is connected to the National Highway 8 through a 16 km connector highway. National highway 6, National highway 228, pass through Surat city connecting various major towns and cities of India. New Airport at Surat is functional since 2008 connecting Surat with Delhi, Jaipur, Kandla, Mumbai and other cities. Table 26: Surat City Profile Sr. No. Category Figures 1 Area sq.kms 326.515 2 Population 2009 SMC projections with expanded City limits 4,523,022 3 Zones 7 4 Avg. Rainfall mm 1,894 mm 5 Major Rivers Tapi 6 Major Dams Ukai, Kakrapar Weir 7 Main Industries Textile industries and machinery, Diamond units, Petroleum, Heavy industries Source: GoG 2006; SMC, 2009 Like the major business centres of early times which used to develop on the bank of the rivers, Surat too is situated on the banks of the Tapi River, which flows into the Arabian sea, just 16 km away from the Surat city. The Tapi River dictates the topology of the city as the landscape slopes gradually from Northeast to Southwest. The city faces the risks of both sea level rise and flooding. The old city had set up flood protection systems including flood walls and gates, which are no longer visible at present. The Ukai multipurpose dam built upstream, 94 km from Surat, was meant for flood control management and for irrigation, power generation. During the last two decades the city of Surat and the surrounding metropolitan region has witnessed major floods. ACCCRN – City Vulnerability Assessment Report 70

5.3 Demography, City Growth and trends, Economic base