It’s a beautiful day! The sun is shining, birds chirping, my new phone’s charging.. I’m even taking half the day off to go along with Varsha to pick up her brand new Honda CRV. All in all it’s fabulous! But there are grim undertones…
The recent floods in Bombay however, have kinda put me in an introspective mood. I managed to catch the first few aerial views of my flooded hometown on NDTV yesterday and, my dear bloggees it wasn’t a pretty sight! This is the latest news update..
Monsoon toll increases to 245By Ramola Badam in Mumbai
July 28, 2005 AT least 245 people have died in mudslides and floods in western India following record heavy monsoon rains, officials said today.
Many were killed in mudslides south of Mumbai as floods brought India's financial capital to a standstill.
Phone links in the city of 15 million people were patchy, schools remained shut and many commuters were stranded with trains and buses still cancelled.
More heavy rainfall is predicted.
TV News channels carried hundreds of rolling text messages from worried family members trying to get in touch with loved ones.
Cars and buses were abandoned in the north of the city and thousands of commuters who opted not to make a long, treacherous walk home had to spend a second night in offices or hotels.
The Government declared a state holiday, advising people to stay home.
Meanwhile, rescuers searching in the village of Juigaon, 150km south of Mumbai, estimated that 100 people had been killed in a mudslide that flattened or buried more than 30 houses.
Scores of other victims have been swept away in floods, bringing the toll so far to 245.
The army, navy and air force have been called in to help as floodwaters swept the coast of Maharashtra state, and helped relief workers airdrop food packets to stranded people.
One area in the north of Mumbai received a record-breaking 94cm of rainfall on Tuesday.
More heavy rain was forecast for the next two days, state officials said.
Limited train services were running in Mumbai, and electricity was being restored as the water receded, but the airport remained closed. (The airport was supposed to reopen today but as of yet flights are still showing closed.)
Thousands of people had to be evacuated and tens of thousands more were stranded as floodwaters raged through the city's streets.
The chaos was a tough reminder of the inadequacies of Mumbai's infrastructure, despite a hugely ambitious $US6 billion ($8bn) plan to turn it into a "new Shanghai".
Flooding in the monsoon season in India, from June to September, kills hundreds of people each year and disrupts life across the country.
The phone lines were unreachable so I spent one miserable evening trying to contact my family and friends, who (praise heavens!) are all ok.
And to add to the ordeal a fire broke out on offshore oil platform at Bombay High about 160 kms off Mumbai’s shore. The death toll as of this morning was 4 and even after about 300 rescues scores of oilrig workers are still missing. Bombay High apparently, according to NTDV produces 38% of India’s domestically used gasoline. The damages will kill India’s gasoline production by at least a third. Yes, we’re going to have to pay more for gas again!
Well that’s all for now. On a brighter note Mumbai has in the past been known for its resilience so I guess it’s just a matter of time before my fair city will be on its feet and buzzing again. God Bless!
