It seems to be the same story for India’s financial capital- Mumbai each year. The city, due to its geographical location witnesses rainfall that disrupts almost everything.
Schools are shut, offices are closed, streets are flooded with water, roads are blocked, flights are delayed, transportation is disrupted, but most importantly; people lose their lives.
This year, Mumbai witnessed unprecedented rain that meteorologists believe to be even severe than the catastrophe that hit the city more than a decade ago in 2005. So, we set out to figure why Mumbai and its residents become the victim of the aftermaths of rains. Take a look:
#1. The basic reason that Mumbai is hit hard by rain every year is due to its geographical location. Most of the city is low-lying and major parts, including the railway tracks, are below sea level. As a result, whenever water clogs up; the low lying areas are completely drained.
#2. But, why does water clog up in a city that is pushing the mandate to be called a world city? Well, it turns out that Mumbai has a poor drainage system. Whenever it rains heavily, the drainage system finds it hard to flush the water out of the streets and as a result, the entire city gets submerged in water.
(Image Courtesy: The Indian Express)
#3. Unfortunately, the authorities and the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) is not doing enough to make sure that the city’s drainage network is improved. While the city’s drainage system has not been renewed in a century, there has been a big ticket project BRIMSTOWAD which is underway to make things somewhat better. However, work is on at snail’s pace, and while the costs of construction have escalated over the years, the pace has not.
#4. When the city faced a deluge on a fateful July in 2005, it became apparent that Mumbai was not ready to tackle rainfall more than 50 mm. Despite that catastrophe, it seems BMC hasn’t learned its lessons and has transcended into a state of complacency where it has been more of talking instead of an immediate action.
(Image Courtesy: Cathch News)
#5. Mumbai is one of the most polluted cities in India and what makes the situation even worse is the fact that more than 10% of its garbage is plastic. This means nearly 700 metric tons of plastic waste every day. In the monsoon season, this plastic chokes up the already inefficient drains, which results in the entire city being engulfed in water.
#6. But more than anything else, there has been a lack of discourse at the hands of the BMC and the state government. The authorities have failed to punish the contractors who do substandard work only for the city to suffer its aftermath when it rains.
(Image Courtesy: MidDay)
So there you have it. While geography plays a huge role in causing a deluge in Mumbai, complacency at the hands of those in power worsens the situation exponentially. Have you ever been caught amid the flooded streets of Mumbai? Let us know in the comments below.
(Featured Image Courtesy: ABC)
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