Mumbai Rains: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly!

A view of Mumbai before the onset of rains

The monsoon season in Mumbai begins from the month June and ends in September every year. During this period, Mumbai receives a total yearly average annual rainfall of 2,409 millimetres as per Indian Metrological Department (IMD). For some Mumbaikars the monsoon season is a relief from the scorching heat of the month of May and also an enjoyable time getting drenched in the rain, but for some it is a bad sign as the train services are either delayed or cancelled due to floods and the potholes that come up in the road due to heavy rains are a sight unwanted.

The Good:

Dam overflowing is a sign of relief for Mumbaikars

The monsoon arrived two days in advance - on June 8 instead of 10 this year. The first week itself the city witnessed heavy rainfall. Colaba, which receives 2,200mm average rainfall annually, had received 1,732.2mm rain till 8.30am on Wednesday, while Santacruz, which records 2,598mm of average rainfall annually, had received 1,900.1mm. Thus south Mumbai has received 78.73% of the average annual rain and Santacruz has received 73.13% of average annual rainfall this year. Within 50 days of rains, the city has received more than 70% of its annual average rainfall in both south Mumbai and suburbs. The water level in the city lakes has brought cheers to the BMC's hydraulic department. According to the BMC data, the total useful content of lakes supplying water to the city currently stands at 1,049,945 million litres as of July 17, 2013. Since our city is dependent on the rains for water, it is a good sign when we receive heavy rainfall.

The Bad:

Commuters suffer the most during the monsoon season

This year, heavy rains caused problems such as flight delays at Mumbai airports, train services delayed due to water logging, trees or branches falling and several areas in Mumbai were affected by floods. BMC’s disaster control room had recorded 51 cases of tress or branches falling and 12 cases of structural damage on 16
th June, 2013. A nearly one km-long stretch of Mumbra bypass on the outskirts of the city caved in on 24th July, 2013 due to incessant rains and had been closed for vehicular traffic, police said. Harbour line services on Central Railway had been suspended due to water-logging near Kurla. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also advised people not to undertake travel in the city unless essential. The civic body had also asked schools to shut following heavy rains as a precautionary measure. While the BMC demanded to take action against agencies and contractors in charge of anti-flooding measures, it shows how much our city is prepared for the onslaught of heavy rains. In 2010, due to scarce rainfall not being able to fill the lakes that supply water to the city, Mumbai had to face a lot of water cuts thus also showing how much our reliance on the rains can affect us. The common man suffers due to the lack of preparation for the monsoon season and therefore he not only blames the government, BMC and other organisations in charge of anti-flooding measures, but he also blames the rain for causing problems such as floods, water logging, flight cancellations and spread of infections and diseases.

Train Services are either delayed or cancelled during the monsoon season
The Ugly:

Mumbaikars struggling to go home on 26th July, 2005

26th July, 2005 floods caused huge losses for the BEST and other transport services
How ugly can the rains get in Mumbai? We have witnessed it on 26th July 2005. Every Mumbaikar would remember this day as the day when the city was washed away. A day when we saw the horror floods could have brought upon our lives. At least 5000 people died in the floods as per Wikipedia records. Mumbai’s domestic as well as international airports including Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Sahar and Juhu aerodrome were shut for more than 30 hours due to heavy flooding of the runways and it submerged Instrument Landing System equipment which also led to poor visibility. Over 700 flights were cancelled or delayed. Rail links were disrupted, and reports on late evening of 30 July indicated cancellation of several long distance trains till 6 August 2005. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which witnessed a number of landslides, was closed the first time ever in its history, for 24 hours. It would be horrifying to even imagine the plight of Mumbaikars who had to face this day! Other than this, every monsoon, Mumbai’s roads are filled with potholes and even after crores are spent on repairing these roads; it becomes a futile attempt as these potholes resurface the next monsoon season. Flooding and water logging of areas also can lead to spread of diseases and contamination of water resources thereby affecting those living in these flooded areas. It also becomes inconvenient to walk on roads as the stench of the garbage that is thrown by Mumbaikars on the roads spreads out due to the rains. Thus the rains give rise to the ugly aspect of Mumbai that remains hidden until the monsoon season begins. Umesh Shinde, who was riding on a flyover along the Western Express highway in Malad earlier this month was thrown off his bike after it hit a six-inch-deep pothole and was declared dead before arrival at the hospital. In another incident, 48-year-old housewife lost her life after falling from a two-wheeler while trying to dodge a pothole on a road in Vasai. Turning the tragedy into a farce, the police booked the victim for negligence. Isn’t it time for us to wake up to this terrible case of pothole deaths!

Potholes cause a lot of traffic and is a recurring problem in Mumbai

Overall, the rains are a part of every Mumbaikar’s daily lives. Without it, our lives would be in trouble and with it too our lives are going to have problems! It is upon us how we can deal with this problem, in the good, bad or ugly manner!


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