Water-logging Stranding Mumbai

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Mumbaikars would have felt a scary déjà vu on August 29, 2017 as rain halted life all over the city. The relentless rainfall threatened to create a situation similar to the floods of 26 July, 2005 where there was huge loss of life and property. By the grace of God, the rain Gods took pity on the plight of the struggling Mumbai folk as the rain receded after what appeared to be three very long days. The first two days observed heavy rains but in bouts, allowing time for the gathered water to seep. August 29 was however a different scenario as the severe rain continued throughout the day offering no respite to the stranded commuters and bringing Mumbai’s life to a standstill. Trains were cancelled, railway platforms were flooded and so were the subways. To top it all off, the rains were only getting worse as the time of high tide (16:30 IST) neared.

The July 2005 torrential rains that brought Mumbai to its knees had recorded a rainfall of 37 inches, after which the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had assured steps would be taken to prevent waterlogging in future. That was obviously not the case as a rainfall of merely 8 inches – seemingly minute when compared to the twelve year old July incident, brought total chaos in the city.

Roads were jammed, cars almost sunk in the water in many parts of the city and a few rivers overflowed. People were stranded in subways, in railway stations and workplace and other buildings. Some houses on the Ground floor were submerged. The BMC has drawn flak for lack of preparedness once again since the previous instance should’ve been an eye opener.

Pothole-riddled roads have been a constant feature of Mumbai over several years, despite tall claims of road repairs before every monsoon. Tuesday's mayhem in Mumbai showed that it is still a long road ahead for the civic authorities before they can claim to be monsoon-ready.

High Court Chief Justice Manjula Chellur came down heavily on the civic body following several accidents in Mumbai due to bad roads. "We read that because of potholes more than 25 persons have died this monsoon. How many more do you want to eliminate before next monsoon?" the court asked BMC while expressing its dissatisfaction with the state of roads in Mumbai.

The hapless citizens were aided by NGOs and rescue operations as the BMC released a helpline number to help those trapped in the chest deep waters. Biscuits and water were provided on the roads by volunteers, and many people opened up their homes to complete strangers to help those in need, circulating their willingness through social networking sites like WhatsApp. The kindness of the citizens saved many, supported many. This also minimized the damage that could’ve been witnessed. But the job is in the hands of the Government to prepare for loses due to such calamities; not of the citizens to provide support once they are hit.