All praise to Almighty and the people of Mumbai. I am 3 months old in Mumbai, carrying no less opinion of millions who believe living here is just next to hell.
That evening of 26th July I was in TOI office at VT, experiencing the regular showers outside the windows. Only around 5pm, some colleagues had come back murmuring there were no buses and taxis easily available.
Without undersatnding the seriousnes of the situation. I went out around 5.45 to Anjuman School next door for my evening prayers then I saw the students and teachers waiting for the rains to stop so that they can start.
I was back and worried, then I decided to start, when reached the bus stop to catch a bus for Matunga, I saw the road was flooded with people coming out of the VT station to catch buses. It looked like the road was an extended Dadar or Kurla platforms in peak hours.
I was back in my office then again tried at 8pm, but unsuccessful. I visited Anjuman School around 9.30 pm for the prayer then again I saw small kids as old as 4 years playing with their class mates and the teachers engaging the students without fear and worry. This really moved me and said I should take more pain than the lit
Sadhana: daughter of Murthy and Lathika : daughter of Sukhram are coming back from SNDT, Santacruz after inquiring engineering vacancy admissions. At 2pm they boarded Bus 507 ltd for Ghatkopar. Bus got struck up at Old Agra Road Bus stop. It was all hell, adventure and dare devil feat from 2.30 pm on wards till 12 noon next day . Water entered inside the bus and slowly bus was getting submerged in water. With the help of bus driver, conductor, students of KJ Somaiyya and the three muslim youth, they climbed to the bustop first thru the front exit side. As the single deck bus got submerged, they jumped from bus stop to truck top(front side). The three muslim boys ventured in deep waters and fetched ropes. They used these ropes to ferry these girls and others from the trucktop to the nearby rooftop of TVS show room.A sort of circus and daredevil feats. They sat on rooftop in darkness from 6.30 pm to next day 9.30 am. At 9.30 am the girls jumped from rooftop to autoriksha top, 6 ft below, in deep waters and from there with the help of the three youth and ropeguides reached LBS marg in neck deep waters and finally reached home.
My friend in Mumbai has no way to drink water or eat food!She has not taken anything for last 48 hours.Her parents down south are very scared as to what will happen. Hope the condition will return back to normal at the earlist possible. Similarly some of my relatives are struck half way between Pune and Mumbai.They are caught there for past 48 hours.With language problem (because they are from south) ; they are suffering.There is no food or water in the train left over after 48 hours of immobility. Praying God for Mumbai...
THANK YOU "GOD THE ALMIGHTY" Also, my wife, our son who is in Jr KG 'C' at Podars Sunbeams, Santacruz(W) and myself really appreciate & would like to immensely thank the Mngmt, Principal & teachers who took a fantastic decision of keeping the children in school overnight. The entire staff was handling the situation professionally, keeping their cool and pacifying the kids. Hats off to all of you. Thanks to the neighboring residents who provided all the children and parents with food, water and moral support. Also, a few food stall vendors, sandwichwallas & shop keepers came for help.
The school bus arrives at 5:45 pm but it didnot arrive. We tried frantically calling the School administrators but unfortunately couldn't get as through as the lines were jammed. I walked all the way from Worli to Santacruz wading through knee deep and sometimes neck deep water looking for the school vehicle. When I reached the school I saw water logging in and around the school. I was really relieved to see my son sleeping on the desk. His teacher told me that he was crying for 2 hours asking for Pappa and Mummy. When he woke up he was really happy and felt safe in my hands.
I walked from worli to everard nagar on 27th July. My journey from office to home has shown the true spirit of this city.
Residents of King's Cirle, near Gandhi market were out on the roads in the torrential rain and the waist deep water just to guide people around pot-holes and open drains. I don't know their names, but there were two young men wearing mi-day T-shirts. If you read this, thank you very much. You were great!
Residents of Sion Hospital were out on the road distributing biscuits, hot meals and water to us. They opened their doors to hapless passengers of long-distance buses so that they could rest a while or use their toilets.
At everard nagar, where i stay, water was chest high. Once again, people living there were out, forming a human chain so that they could help people wade across to their homes. I salute these men, complete stranger, standing in waist-deep water for hours together just to help people.
This selfless spirit is what makes mumbai ticks. I want to thank every single one of the people who helped me get home safely. My parents stay in Pune and they too express their gratitude towards you all.
My family had been stuck up in Mumbai the whole 26the night and its was terrible experience. Mobile Phones batteries were out and there was not way to communicate. People were able to walk 40-50 kilometers back hope but none of the police officials were there to give helpful in to the stranded. IT was a nightmare for all of us. People were walking in neck deep waters to their homes, why were the police not made active to give proper info for the stranded. Not all have mobile phones. Its was seen that the drainage system was pathetic and no proper systems has been in place for the water to drain off from bridges. This is shameless. At one end we talk about Growing economy and world class facility and here we see nothing more than sheer stupidity and lack of foresight of city planners. THis high time the Government lears some basic common sense and start implementing preventive construction in Mumbai. One of the mostintelligent steps would be to have an INTERNATIONAL Airport in not sush low lying ocations like mumbai but somewhere near the Pune. Another aspects would be move most of the Critical offices out of Mubai to Locations where Public transport is not halted by One day ra
This is the time for us all to unite and pray in unision for our brethren in agony in Mumbai. There's no point blaming the govt or the administration. They are just useless (as usual!!!!).Tragedies do happen and this is another one. I am sure we Indians will overcome this with the same striving spirit, winning vigour and compassion as we did the Gujarat quake, the Orissa Supercyclone (I belong to Orissa), Latur Quake and the much recent the southeren Tsunami. How much ever these stupid politicians having vested interests try to build disturbances both within and beyond the frontiers, we have always stood together and prayed for each of our brethren in distress, and therein lies the victory of mankind. Mumbaikars, the entire nation (even people from Pakistan) are praying for your safely and well-being. Have the faith this nightmare too will pass by and make us all the more stronger and brin us closer to humanity. Co.mom Mumabi, live upto your spirit !!! CHEER UP.....................We all are together and are praying for you. Sab theek ho jayega. Ameem.
P.S: Where have all the Aiahwarya Rai's and SRK's gone, who claim to have deep compassion for human beings in pain and distress?????? Maybe they will come forward only when the camera and media manages to reach the flooded parts and frame them doing the grear deeds!!!!!!!!.......Oops just a passing thought........
i m resident of mulund and working in vashi. somethingto share with you which may be helpful to others.vashi to mulund buses are working as normal but thane-airoli-vashi rail is totally down.also vashi-belapur route is up. most imp is there is no service from kurla at all neither rail nor bus.
Just wanted to share my feelings of appreciation and respect for the superhuman spirit of mumbaikars.I am from hyderabad,my wife is from mumbai though and we now live in US.It is so shocking to listen that the CM of mumbai declares 25 dead on the news and we see news headlines of landslide killing more than 50 people in just one incident on the rainy tuesday.It just shows the quality of leadership we have elected to take care of such great metropolitan citigoers who do not stop for nothing,be it rain or bombs or anything else.I was thinking about the marathon in our small city here in US in hot sun,then I realized that poeple have walked for hours to reach home or just to safety or just to help others in mumbai. God bless this spirit of this city that never sleeps and that can swim in any waters!!!
We will pray for all those who are stranded,stuck or missing,waiting to see their loved ones.May this rain be an eyeopener for the urban elite and the literate middleclass to start electing humans to rule,not morons who give such stupid statements without any sense.
