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| Mumbai chokes on poorinfrastructure |
| But even if the rain was not as heavy, the impact seemed almost the same as on that terrible day.
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| INDIA
, 2-July-2007
1:8:56 AM |
| As Mumbai got flooded due to incessant rains, it brought back memories of a terrible day two years ago when the city not just came to a stand still but was literally felled to its knees.
Heavy rain in Mumbai evokes images and fears of a repeat of 26/7 when it rained 944 mm in 24 hours. On Saturday, this year, it was less than half-- 430mm in just about 24 hours.
But even if the rain was not as heavy, the impact seemed almost the same as on that terrible day.
Highways turned into rivers, houses in low lying areas were completely underwater and people were stranded as trains, buses and cars waded through water.
Unplanned growth
The main reason for this chaos is the city's unplanned growth, particularly the newer suburbs that do not have proper drains.
''In the last 100 years, we may have the same drains, but we also have nearly the same amount of rain. Why did things change? It is because there is simply no space for water to drain. Areas, which used to drain our water, the protectors have now become our tormentors.
''Look at the mill areas, they never used to flood but now they are totally flooded. This is because open lands have been filled,'' said Chandrashekhar Prabhu, urban planner.
There is also the 9-mile long Mithi River that did most of the damage on 26/7, when it flooded.
''Because of the encroachment on the Mithi river and the dumping that takes place, the water can't really get to the sea,'' said Bittu Sehgal, Environmentalist.
Cleaning up the Mithi will take time, maybe even years and getting a new drainage system even longer.
''Even if development is happening, the BMC will meet the needs, we're creating more drains, more pumps. It is a challenge but that is why we're here to meet the challenge, we are managers of this city after all,'' said Srikanth Singh, Additional Municipal Commissioner, BMC.
The civic authorities seem to be finally getting somewhere close to keeping this city afloat and clear of water.
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