Incessant rains and an uncaring system make Mumbai a living hell
July continues to scare Mumbai. Heavy rains, submerged roads and disrupted train services on Tuesday reminded Mumbaikars of July 26, 2005.
By ET Bureau |
MUMBAI/PUNE: July continues to scare Mumbai. Heavy rains, submerged roads and disrupted train services on Tuesday reminded Mumbaikars of July 26, 2005. Scared of the repeat of that day���s calamity, a large number of people did not venture out of their homes, giving some relief to the city���s already creaking transport services.
Unfortunately, the fragile nature of Mumbai���s transportation systems and bad roads forced casual leave on a large chunk of the public as well as private sector work force, which commutes from suburbs from far-away places like Virar on the western side and Karjat in the eastern suburbs.
A combination of showers on the wettest day of the season so far, of high tide, which results in rising sea water and an ill-equipped drainage system hit suburban train services on all three lines early Tuesday morning.
The meteorological department said it had recorded 200 mm of rainfall in Colaba and 142.9 mm in Santacruz for the past 24 hours.
The Harbour line was the first to run 20-30 minutes behind schedule. Soon, the Central and Western lines followed suit, running 20 to 40 minutes late. A railway spokesperson, however, maintained train services did not stop at any point. ���Waterlogging and high tide have affected the movement of trains, but not a single train has been cancelled; nor has any suburban train come to a halt midway ,��� the spokesperson said.
It was just as chaotic on the roads. Traffic jams were a common sight on the Eastern and Western Express Highways. Vehicle owners had to negotiate potholes, water spilling out of drains and a high tide rendering manholes useless. Areas like Hindmata, Kala Chowki, Lower Parel and Kings Circle and parts of Kurla, Sion and Andheri witnessed waterlogging. Thankfully, the Mithi river, widened and deepened after the 2005 disaster, did not cause danger to surrounding areas.
Mayor Shubha Raul claimed a much better response mechanism this time, pointing out that the BMC had installed powerful pumps at several points to drain out excess water. Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who some months back famously called himself Mumbai���s CEO, sprang a pleasant surprise. He visited areas like Mahalaxmi, Lower Parel and Dr Ambedkar Marg ��� the only visible change in the city���s management. Mr Deshmukh has, in the past, been accused of being indifferent to issues concerning the city.
Meanwhile, the meteorological department has forecast heavy-to-very-heavy rainfall in Konkan, Goa and Gujarat in the next 48 hours. The last two days of June brought in heavy rain across the state. Mumbai recorded 734.9 mm rainfall in June, 183.9 mm higher than its June average while Pune received 128 mm, 15 mm higher.
���The rainfall over the past two days was a result of an offshore trough phenomenon which extended over the coastline from Gujarat to Kerala. A cyclonic circulation accompanied it over the north-eastern part of the Arabian Sea. This will also result in fairly widespread rainfall over central Maharashtra, coastal Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep in the next two days,��� IMD director (weather central), Medha Khole, said.
Unfortunately, the fragile nature of Mumbai���s transportation systems and bad roads forced casual leave on a large chunk of the public as well as private sector work force, which commutes from suburbs from far-away places like Virar on the western side and Karjat in the eastern suburbs.
A combination of showers on the wettest day of the season so far, of high tide, which results in rising sea water and an ill-equipped drainage system hit suburban train services on all three lines early Tuesday morning.
The meteorological department said it had recorded 200 mm of rainfall in Colaba and 142.9 mm in Santacruz for the past 24 hours.
The Harbour line was the first to run 20-30 minutes behind schedule. Soon, the Central and Western lines followed suit, running 20 to 40 minutes late. A railway spokesperson, however, maintained train services did not stop at any point. ���Waterlogging and high tide have affected the movement of trains, but not a single train has been cancelled; nor has any suburban train come to a halt midway ,��� the spokesperson said.
It was just as chaotic on the roads. Traffic jams were a common sight on the Eastern and Western Express Highways. Vehicle owners had to negotiate potholes, water spilling out of drains and a high tide rendering manholes useless. Areas like Hindmata, Kala Chowki, Lower Parel and Kings Circle and parts of Kurla, Sion and Andheri witnessed waterlogging. Thankfully, the Mithi river, widened and deepened after the 2005 disaster, did not cause danger to surrounding areas.
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The civic administration has not learnt its lessons from the past, when heavy showers and high tide have paralysed the city. Municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak issued the clich��d advisory to people to step out of their homes only if they really needed to, but did not update them on what efforts the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has taken to bring about a qualitative difference in basic services since July 2005.Mayor Shubha Raul claimed a much better response mechanism this time, pointing out that the BMC had installed powerful pumps at several points to drain out excess water. Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who some months back famously called himself Mumbai���s CEO, sprang a pleasant surprise. He visited areas like Mahalaxmi, Lower Parel and Dr Ambedkar Marg ��� the only visible change in the city���s management. Mr Deshmukh has, in the past, been accused of being indifferent to issues concerning the city.
Meanwhile, the meteorological department has forecast heavy-to-very-heavy rainfall in Konkan, Goa and Gujarat in the next 48 hours. The last two days of June brought in heavy rain across the state. Mumbai recorded 734.9 mm rainfall in June, 183.9 mm higher than its June average while Pune received 128 mm, 15 mm higher.
���The rainfall over the past two days was a result of an offshore trough phenomenon which extended over the coastline from Gujarat to Kerala. A cyclonic circulation accompanied it over the north-eastern part of the Arabian Sea. This will also result in fairly widespread rainfall over central Maharashtra, coastal Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep in the next two days,��� IMD director (weather central), Medha Khole, said.
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