Mumbai Rains: Come September...And Monsoon Fury!

Finally…the moment September entered the Monsoon poured and poured, and the first major disruption of normal life of the season happened. Since morning today heavy rains lashed parts of Mumbai city, the central suburbs and the district of Thane. Normal activities were disrupted with slowing or stopping trains, traffic jams and water logging. But the showers brought cheers, because it rained heavily in several drought-hit areas of Maharashtra and also in catchments areas leading to overflowing lakes that supply water to the city of Mumbai. The Mumbaikars rejoiced. The farmers rejoiced.

As Mumbaikars were relishing  the relief from possible water cuts in future and withdrawal of the present 10% cut the Monsoon shifted its sights over to the main city and the western suburbs since afternoon. Torrential and continuous heavy rains till late evening brought the city to a standstill with the homecoming commuters hopelessly stranded. Every street, road and lanes got clogged; trains almost stopped with water flowing over platforms and railway tracks; all potentially prone spots got flooded and many colonies and roads got submerged. As we said earlier maybe the suffering people still cheered the showers! 

For example I was not exactly disheartened while coming back home from a hard day’s work in office by car in early evening and getting caught in the full blast of the continuous showers. Even though it took me four hours to cover five and half kilometers. My wife too got caught in the western suburbs where she went for a job and it took five hours for her to reach home by walking through knee-deep water first and then taking a train that toddled literally through watery ways.  I was only annoyed as it delayed a few important tasks. Overall, we feel happy for the farmers and ourselves. Hail Monsoon! Now eradicate the full deficit next!