Incessant rains hit Mumbai for the fourth straight day on Tuesday, bringing back horrific memories of July 26, 2005. Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds lashed the metro city disrupting rail, road and air services. Trees were uprooted, and houses submerged in water, bringing the megapolis to its knees. People's woes were compounded by the high tide that prevented natural drainage of water into the sea. There were flashbacks of the horror memories of July 26-27, 2005 where over 500 people died.
Mumbai is a densely populated city, with over 18.41 million residents and areas in the city can get inundated with even 50 mm of rainfall. In the last two days, the city received over 350 mm of the downpour and these rains were forecast in advance. The IMD had issued a warning of heavy rainfall in the next 48 hours, and the State Disaster Management Control had issued an alert. So, why didn't the administration up its preparedness? Why did it not heed the warnings? Why did everyone stand as silent spectators? These are the questions that require answers from the government.
The timing of the rainfall was a key factor responsible for flooding. Mumbai had already soaked in around 2,000 mm of rainfall and the soil had already absorbed enough rains. Since the ability to retain water reduced drastically, there was immediate flooding. If Mumbai doesn't redesign its infra keeping such extreme weather conditions in mind, it will continue to succumb to the ravages of nature. Mumbai is known to have garbage and litter at every nook and corner. There need to be mechanisms in place to flush out all such garbage and especially plastic waste that blocks drain outlets.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is the richest civic body in the country. It's a cash-cow with no dearth of finances. How could the BMC ignore such calamities, especially when there were horror stories of the past that have left scars on the lives of hundreds of families. What stops the corporation from working out water drainage systems and putting up a disaster management plan in place?
Mumbai has been the home of India's crème de la crème. It houses industrialists, film stars and the advertising industry. It's the nerve centre of financial circuits holding the pulse of India's economy. In a fast developing era where Mumbai is seen virtually as the backbone of the nation, it's a crying shame that despite the big image Mumbai has carved out for itself, the city has cut out a very sorry image in terms of flood management. Mumbaikars are known to have shown resilience after being struck by adversities. They have shown immense courage to rise up the next day after terror attacks tore through the city. But in terms of flood management, Mumbaikars have disappointed. People should get their act together and force the authorities to assure them safety from such natural calamities. There needs to be a Plan B. Disaster management solutions have to be worked out on priority.
Mumbai is a densely populated city, with over 18.41 million residents and areas in the city can get inundated with even 50 mm of rainfall. In the last two days, the city received over 350 mm of the downpour and these rains were forecast in advance. The IMD had issued a warning of heavy rainfall in the next 48 hours, and the State Disaster Management Control had issued an alert. So, why didn't the administration up its preparedness? Why did it not heed the warnings? Why did everyone stand as silent spectators? These are the questions that require answers from the government.
The timing of the rainfall was a key factor responsible for flooding. Mumbai had already soaked in around 2,000 mm of rainfall and the soil had already absorbed enough rains. Since the ability to retain water reduced drastically, there was immediate flooding. If Mumbai doesn't redesign its infra keeping such extreme weather conditions in mind, it will continue to succumb to the ravages of nature. Mumbai is known to have garbage and litter at every nook and corner. There need to be mechanisms in place to flush out all such garbage and especially plastic waste that blocks drain outlets.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is the richest civic body in the country. It's a cash-cow with no dearth of finances. How could the BMC ignore such calamities, especially when there were horror stories of the past that have left scars on the lives of hundreds of families. What stops the corporation from working out water drainage systems and putting up a disaster management plan in place?
Mumbai has been the home of India's crème de la crème. It houses industrialists, film stars and the advertising industry. It's the nerve centre of financial circuits holding the pulse of India's economy. In a fast developing era where Mumbai is seen virtually as the backbone of the nation, it's a crying shame that despite the big image Mumbai has carved out for itself, the city has cut out a very sorry image in terms of flood management. Mumbaikars are known to have shown resilience after being struck by adversities. They have shown immense courage to rise up the next day after terror attacks tore through the city. But in terms of flood management, Mumbaikars have disappointed. People should get their act together and force the authorities to assure them safety from such natural calamities. There needs to be a Plan B. Disaster management solutions have to be worked out on priority.
