Mumbai recalls monsoon nightmare

By Monica Chadha
BBC News, Mumbai

Prayers were said for those who were killed

A few days ago, Mumbai (Bombay) media professional Asif Mukadam visited a psychologist.

He had realised that after almost a year he needed professional help to deal with his traumatic experience during floods which devastated the city on 26 July, 2005.

Mr Mukadam lost everything in the floods and was unable to trace his wife and son for more than 12 hours.

"I lived in a ground floor flat in Kalina that was one of the worst flooded areas in the city last year," he told the BBC.

"On that day I was resting at home and looking forward to a quiet birthday celebration with my family. Suddenly there was water rushing in to my house and I panicked."

'So scared'

Mr Mukadam took whatever valuables he could get hold of and kept them in a neighbour's house and then tried to get in touch with his wife, but failed.

I don't want to get stranded or trapped anywhere so I never go out when it rains Flood survivor Asif Mukadam

"She had taken the car and gone to fetch my two-year-old son from school - so fortunately she was not at home when it got flooded.

"Communication lines were down so I couldn't get through to her. The traffic wasn't moving so I couldn't go where she was. I was so scared to think of what might have happened to them that I was crying and suffered a breakdown in the night."

He spent the night in an auto rickshaw and finally found his wife and child the next morning.

The experience has scarred him to such an extent that he and his family have moved into a flat on the 14th floor in an area away from the city. And he never ventures out of home when it rains.

"I just keep thinking, never again, I don't want to get stranded or trapped anywhere so I never go out when it rains.

He says that is why he went to the psychologist: "I realised I haven't overcome the trauma."

July 26, 2005 is not a date Mumbai will forget easily. Record rainfall of 944 millimetres within a few hours caused flooding across the city and in the surrounding areas.

People had to wade through water, sometimes up to their necks

Water rushed into houses and people were stranded on roads as traffic came to a standstill. Communication lines failed completely and people found it difficult to trace their family members.

Residents of the city had to wade through neck-deep water through the night to reach their homes. Others stayed over in friends' and strangers' homes till the water levels dropped.

More than 1,000 people died in the floods across the state. Many people drowned, some died of suffocation in their cars.

Nearly 250 people perished due to the diseases that spread in the aftermath of the floods - for days human bodies and animal carcasses were found floating in the water.

'Everything was buried'

To mark the first anniversary and remember the dead, prayer services were held in various parts of the city and school children formed a human chain.

There is too much hurt and fear here. I am not coming back Mohammed Afzal

A special service was also organised at Saki Naka in the western suburb of Andheri where 72 people living in slums at the foot of a hill died in a landslide caused by the heavy rainfall.

Mohammed Afzal was 15 when he lost almost all of his immediate family - parents, three sisters, three nephews and a brother - in the incident.

His house was amongst the many others that were buried under huge rocks and mud.

"I was playing on the road with a few friends when suddenly part of the hill came crumbling down," he said.

"I ran back but none of the houses here were left standing. I could see a hand here, a foot there and began searching for my family but it was difficult because everything was buried under."

Mohammed did not see his family until three days later when their bodies were pulled out.

A year later, he is back at the spot where he lost his family to mark the first anniversary of their deaths. Life has changed for him since. He stays with his uncle now and works in a factory to earn his living.

The 16-year-old speaks in a very matter-of-fact tone and manages to keep a straight face but the pain is evident in his eyes.

"I have received compensation of 850,000 rupees ($18,150) from the state and central governments. They had promised a room for all those who had lost their houses as well but I haven't been allotted any accommodation yet."

He is very clear that he will not stay in the area.

"There is too much hurt and fear here. I am not coming back."

Action

One year on, the memories of 26 July remain fresh. In fact, they were reinforced in the first week of July this year when heavy showers once again brought the city to a virtual standstill.

ASIAN MONSOON The word 'monsoon' comes from the Arabic for 'season' Describes seasonal reversals of wind direction From April heat builds over South Asia, creating low pressure areas Brings moisture-rich south-west winds in from the ocean Millions suffer in monsoon BBC Weather: Asian monsoon

Traffic and public transport was affected once again and people were stranded on roads. Offices and schools were shut for two to three days and most people chose to remain indoors than risk a replay of last year.

The incident once again brought up the debate of how prepared the state administration is to deal with another downpour.

Last year, the state government took numerous steps and set up separate funds to improve the city infrastructure and 100-year-old drainage system.

Authorities have cleared the Mithi river that flows through the city and carries excess water in to the Arabian Sea. It brought about a ban on plastic bags since these were blamed for blocking the city's sewage system and preventing the water from flowing through.

But environmentalists believe this is not enough.

The editor of Sanctuary magazine, Bittu Sehgal, says the city will continue to suffer no matter what officials do.

"They are not addressing the fundamental problem of opening the mouth of the Mithi river where it enters into the sea because they've already built fly-overs there.

"Until they open the river, they will continue to have floods, whether it is 944 millimetres like last year or 134 millimetres like this year."