Its happening again....the rains have been lashing Bombay since early morning. Is this going to be a repeat telecast of Tuesday?? The weather bureau predicts approximately 57 cms rainfall for today in Bombay - this is almost 60% of what we received on Tuesday, which - at 94.4 cms - has gone down as the rainiest day in Indian history. So, if you are planning on leaving the house today, think ten times. There are people in the suburbs of Andheri who still have not reached home. Lets all just take a moment and pray for them. I am sure their family must be manic with worry by now.
Take care and stay safe!!!!
July 31, 2005
July 29, 2005
The rains have finally taken a break and people are safely back in their houses. Its been a long ordeal for many - especially for those who had no clue where their loved ones were for almost 48 hours! There is going to be quite a bit of sky-watching for a few days now, and even the slightest hint of rains will keep on spreading panic. But considering what could have been, Bombay is back on its feet surprisingly fast. And despite the fact that there could have been a total breakdown of law and order, the city and all the people and vehicles stranded on the roads remained safe and sound. As one friend put it, if this was Delhi, all the women would have been raped by now!!
July 27, 2005
Mumbai gets highest rainfall in Indian history
Its been a crazy 24 hours....in the last day Mumbai has experienced 94.4 centimeters of rainfall, stranding almost 150,000 people on roads or in offices, snapping communication lines (including cell phones and landline phones), shutting down all suburban and long distance train services, closing airports and literally shutting down the whole city.
India's previous heaviest rainfall - 83.82 centimeters - was recorded at Cherrapunji on July 12, 1910. Fresh data suggests that today's Mumbai disaster might rank as the highest ever rainfall in the world!!
I was one of the lucky ones (touch wood), in that I managed to make it home after walking just a few kilometers in the deluge!! My brother was stuck in a traffic jam near Chembur for 18 hours, and has just made it home after walking through 17 kms of waist-deep water. Most of my colleagues are still stuck in office, and have now turned to work out of sheer boredom - most of the city's economy, therefore, has been running on pure default as people have been forced to stay stuck in their workplaces since yesterday.
My heart goes out to those who are stranded at stations waiting for local trains or have been forced to be in the open through the night. There are people who have been walking since yesterday, and are still nowhere near home. The TV and radio stations have been broadcasting messages from people looking for any sort of info on their loved ones, as all phone lines are down, and they have no clue where family members are since yesterday evening. I can imagine the tension they are facing - had no clue where my brother was for almost 15 hours, and it was scary!!!!
The rains have finally taken a breather, and I hope that everyone will get back to their houses very soon. If you are reading this post, please do take a moment and pray for them!
India's previous heaviest rainfall - 83.82 centimeters - was recorded at Cherrapunji on July 12, 1910. Fresh data suggests that today's Mumbai disaster might rank as the highest ever rainfall in the world!!
I was one of the lucky ones (touch wood), in that I managed to make it home after walking just a few kilometers in the deluge!! My brother was stuck in a traffic jam near Chembur for 18 hours, and has just made it home after walking through 17 kms of waist-deep water. Most of my colleagues are still stuck in office, and have now turned to work out of sheer boredom - most of the city's economy, therefore, has been running on pure default as people have been forced to stay stuck in their workplaces since yesterday.
My heart goes out to those who are stranded at stations waiting for local trains or have been forced to be in the open through the night. There are people who have been walking since yesterday, and are still nowhere near home. The TV and radio stations have been broadcasting messages from people looking for any sort of info on their loved ones, as all phone lines are down, and they have no clue where family members are since yesterday evening. I can imagine the tension they are facing - had no clue where my brother was for almost 15 hours, and it was scary!!!!
The rains have finally taken a breather, and I hope that everyone will get back to their houses very soon. If you are reading this post, please do take a moment and pray for them!
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