Tuesday, July 26th 2005, will be a memorable day not only for the heavy rains and the waste it has caused, but also for demonstrating in a very palpable manner that nature is unpredictable and cannot be made subservient to man. I, for one, had occassion to observe many aspects of human behaviour. Human beings just as helpful and caring as they can be, could also be opportunistic, greedy and insensitive. But by far and large, the man on the Mumbai streets is restrained and patient. Some, in the face of a calamity even have the temperament to enjoy the moment - whatever it may bring.
As a partner in a small law firm, i have a staff of five, for whose physical well being i feel responsible. Under normal circumstances, being risk averse, i would have sent off home my staff at the first whiff of abnormal weather conditions. However, on 26/7/2005,i was caught unaware. In a short span of 20 minutes, the deluge hit south Mumbai - the sky turned an ominous deep grey, the water came down like sheets of cold steel and the streets became gushing rivers.
Under these conditions, i tried to get a cabbie to take my secretary to her home in Dadar. I was shocked when he asked for Rs. 200/- per head [there being two other passengers going to Kandivali]. Fortunately, she sighted a bus which although bursting at the seams, had space for a person to squeeze into and she got on.
There was not a single taxi vacant. So I walked from Fountain to Churchgate Station in the hope of taking a train to Grant Road, as my residence is at Breach Candy. The situation was disastrous - not only were the trains not functioning, but it seemed as if the entire population of this megapolis was out on the streets desperately trying to find transport and get to their respective homes. The buses were stuffed to capacity and more. It is ironical that at times like these, when technology is most required, it fails. Sure enough, the cellular and the land line phone network was unable to cater to the crisis and networks were busy, with the result, there was a break down of communications, adding to the woes of the public.
I over heard a person describe a short circuit in his office and fire breaking out. I was in a bus next to a girl who hadnt eaten since breakfast and was near fainting since the bus had taken over two hours from Nariman Point to the Aquarium - a distance of five kilometers! In the same bus with an over full bladder, i was thinking of a toilet and consoling myself that there were people who had more serious issues to deal with as they were unable to reach their infants and had no way of communicating their situation to their family.
What was interesting to observe through this period of abnormality spanning four and a half hours, was the attitude of the people. Whilst the younger lot was enjoying the water at Marine Drive and revelling in the down pour; the older lot on the streets; appeared to have resigned themselves to their fate and were trying to make the best out of the catastrophe. Even the cars which were bumper to bumper and inching along at a snails pace, were disciplined and i did not get to see the usual uncouth behaviour, Mumbai drivers are so notorious for!
As i sit comfortably over my PC to write this piece, i cant help but think of all those who are still wading through chest high waters to reach home; i cant help but think of all those who will not sleep in their own beds - however humble those might be - nor tend to their babies and families or be around to take them to a hospital or a crematorium, as the case may be; nor be there to celebrate a birthday or an anniversary. And yet, despite all of this, we know in our heart of hearts that tomorrow will be a new day; the sun will shine; the roads will be drained; the down pour will abate and life will go on.
Article as published on Rediff.com
Authored by Sunita J. Masani......... [July, 2005]