Must read - Mumbai rain : a tale of a stranded Mumbayit (Author: Shishir)
- From: kamria@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: 3 Aug 2005 12:16:06 -0700
Mumbai rain : a tale of a stranded Mumbayit
(Author :Shishir)
The day 26th July 2005 came like a typical working day in Mumbai. But
Mumbayits had no idea that they are going to remember this day for a
long...long time. Around 1 p.m. it started raining, it was heavy and
threatening enough to vacate most of the offices around 3:00 p.m.
Myself along with my two colleagues boarded BEST's Bus No.303 at
Bandra-Kurla Complex. We opted Bus No.303 so that we would reach
directly to Mulund Railway Station instead of Kurla Station. We had no
idea that this would turn out to be the longest travel of my life.
The trouble started near MTNL stop which is at the border of Kurla &
BKC (Bandra - Kurla Complex). After one hour we could reach only at
Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, near Kurla Bus Depot. There was serpentine
queue of the vehicles all the way through. It was raining very heavily.
Water level on the road was increasing the footpath of the both side
was swallowed by the water. At 4:30 p.m., more than one hour after we
boarded on the bus. We still believed that the traffic will soon move
on and around 8 or 9 p.m. we will reach to Mulund, but the mother
nature had the other ideas.
The Beginning :
6:00 p.m. : Heavy rain, now the water level touched the lower most step
of our Single Decker bus 303. We were at the last seat of the bus and
could see the traffic behind our bus. Double Decker Bus No.313 was just
behind us.
6:30 p.m. : Heavy rain continued. One elephant passed close to our
bus dislodging a large volume of water. The water took this opportunity
to enter into our bus and kissed our feet. Although it was all
trouble, every monsoon I enjoyed such chaos once in the season.
6:45 p.m. : We could see that the water has reached to the bumper of
the Bus No.313 standing behind, then number plate, then headlights,
then engine. Well, we were already in knee high water. Women and
girls started crying, thereby simply surrendering to the mother nature.
Outside the bus the water level was very alarming, about chest high.
We decided to go to the double decker bus to get rid of the water.
The Dangerous Migration :
7:00 p.m. : I opened the emergency exit window of our bus and shouted
at the double decker bus driver. I asked him to bring his bus close to
ours. He first refused then had a try with his water filled engine.
Fortunately it worked and he parked his bus very close to that of ours.
I tried it first, got myself out of our bus from emergency exit and I
sat on the double decker's bonnet and judged the possibility of enter
into the bus from the window. It seemed feasible. Then, myself and
Mahindra, my colleague, helped the ladies to come out of our bus and
get into the double decker. It was a risky business, because the water
underneath was flowing very fast and was about neck high. Fortunately
most of the passengers and all ladies came safely and we entered into
double decker. The lower deck of the bus was filled with chest deep
water, we all went at the upper deck.
The Death Show :
7:15 p.m. : When I came to the upper deck, I saw an elderly person
lying calmly on the last seat of the upper deck. All the other seats
were occupied by our co-passengers. Many ladies thanked us for our
timely help. As I was talking to my colleagues, I glanced on the person
lying on the last seat, to my horror, he was breathless ! Myself and
Mahindra checked his pulse, but.... it was extinct, no breathing, I
tried for heart pumping, but nothing. I rushed to the bus conductor,
asked him about it. He confirmed that he was dead. He said few people
brought him here as they saw his body flowing in the water.
We saw a taxi and a rickshaw hopelessly defying the water force. The
taxi was soon filled with the water we could not know about the
whereabouts of the taxi , leave alone the driver and passenger. The
entire atmosphere slowly turned into a panic. We have more worries
ahead.
9:00 p.m. : The heavens continued to pour. By now there was no
street, there was just a river bank. There was lightening, thunder and
plenty of worries for us. We were hungry, thirsty. Ladies started
praying.
"Bachao, Bachao !" :
10:00 p.m. : Heavy rain. The seats in abandoned single decker bus
were already under the water. The water level was increasing. Now I
could see pitiful faces, gloomy eyes and surrendered people around me.
Few male passengers started weeping.
11:00 p.m. : To our horror, our abandoned single decker bus was no
more a breathing place. There was water all the way through it ! The
water had already swallowed three steps of the upper deck too. Now, I
imagined that if this down pouring continues then, we all will have
more worries. We opened the windows and in one chorus called "Bachao,
Bachao !" After some time few people came atop the single decker
bus standing left to our bus. Some of us broke a window panel and tied
a rope and the other end of the rope was tied to the shop at the
footpath. This was a very risky task. There was a big gap between our
window and the top of the single decker and the furiously flowing water
was eager to swallow anything that come along. I calculated the risk
factor and I decided not to go for it, mainly because I believed that
the rain will stop eventually and the water level will reduce. About
five-six persons including both of my colleagues went for it. Another
guy had a very close shave but was just lucky enough to survive.
2:00 a.m. : The rain took a breath for the first time and was in a
drizzling mode now. Again, it started raining heavily around 2:45 a.m.
Agonizingly, there was lightening & thunder, so no sign of immediate
rain stoppage. I opened the emergency exit window of the bus and
glanced outside. It was one of the most dangerous sight I even had in
my life. Water and water everywhere ! I thought as if I am standing
hopelessly amid centre of a river basin. It was this time that I really
could imagine how people are killed by flood, tsunami or the fury of
the nature.
Ray of Hope :
5:00 a.m. : It was still raining but surprisingly there was no further
increase in the water level, probably it was low tide now.
6:00 a.m. : Wow ! The fury of the rain was now diminished to a
considerable extent. I was continuously monitoring the water level and
amazingly it found that it was reducing. This is the most fascinating
sight I had in the last 16 hours. Now I started believing that soon
the water will reduce and we will be free.
How humans decay :
8:00 a.m. : Water level was reducing, but at a slow pace. We have now
a different problem. The body of our unfortunate passenger was started
decaying. There was a foul smell throughout the bus and there was a
sense of panic again. Our bus conductor, who was very reluctant in
carrying the body in the bus from the beginning (due to the unavoidable
interrogation & legal formalities) argued and proposed all of us that
we should put the corpse in the water again and let it flow wherever it
may go. His proposal however, was not seconded by any passenger. I was
clueless, very honestly, I could imagine the trauma the conductor is
likely to face in the legal matter, at the same time, though dead, the
unfortunate fellow was a human being and certainly not deserving such
treatment.
9:00 a.m. : With the reduced water level, we could see the face of
disaster at the micro level. There were many small vehicles like jeeps,
taxies, rikshaws overturned and collided with the trucks standing near
the footpath. Slowly appearing tops of the drowned vehicles looked very
enigmatic.
Rescue at last :
9:20 a.m. : With the 'cease fire' of the rain and reduced water
level (to the chest height), we realized that it's now time to go out
and rescue ourselves. One by one, we left the bus, leaving behind our
overnight abode, BEST's bus No.MH-01 8972, bus driver, conductor and
the man who was breathless all the way through.
In the chest high water we moved on with the help of the divider, but
if we mean to go to Kurla station, we must cross the stream, still a
chest high furious flow. Fortunately there was rescue work ahead, a
rope was tied from the middle of the road to the footpath (the other
bank). With my carry bag in one hand, I hold the rope tightly and
started crossing the stream, well..... but the flow was so furious that
I was barely managing to keep my feet on the ground, as I proceeded and
came in the middle of the flow, the water force completely defeated my
ability to withstand and my both feet were lifted, my life was now at
the mercy of my ability to withhold the rope with my wet hands. But
believe me ! I was surprisingly calm, probably was knowing that I am
not going to die. There were many volunteers around, I called one of
them calmly and requested him to hold me, he hold my pant near my weist
and shoved me towards the footpath and yes..... I was out of the water,
alive and safe. I started walking towards Kurla, I was badly hungry,
thirsty. But there were no shop, hotels open. From one shop I purchased
some biscuits and ate several and continued walking.
The new reign of trouble :
10:00 a.m. : At Kurla station, there was one stranded local train on
platform No.1 and the water level was up to the plaform's surface, so
there was no chance of running of train within few hours. Further,
there was no electricity. I was extremely disappointed. I spent whole
day at Kurla station as the possibility of reaching Thane or even
Ghatkoper was zero as there was neck high water near Kurla Nehru nagar
(E), Sheetal Cinema, Kurla (W) and in a big nallah in the tracks near
Vidyavihar. There was no train, no bus, no taxi, no rikshaw, no
telephone, no mobile network, nothing except pool of water everywhere !
I have never seen Mumbai such drastically parallyzed.
More deaths :
4:00 p.m. : As I tried to go towards Ghatkoper from Kurla east, I saw
two dead bodies.
Then came a helicopter threw food packages, which people grabbed. So
far I had seen such scene in television, now I, myself was in the
receiving end. Yes, we were the victims.
6:00 p.m. : The water level was reducing, even some of the portions
of the tracks were visible. People started arguing with station master
but without power supply, it was just impossible.
8:30 p.m. : The power supply came and there was a wave of clapping and
excitement among us, I was sitting in the train, I thanked god and
hoped that the train will move on soon and ..... by say, 10, 10:30 I
will be at home, wow ! What a pleasing thought.
9:15 p.m. : After several worthless announcements, finally it was
announced that the train will NOT move and the passengers are requested
to go to Ghatkoper and catch the train for Thane. Cursing the railway
authorities, I left the train & started walking towards Ghatkoper.
Inching ahead :
10:15 p.m. : I reached to Ghatkoper, soon it was announced that special
train for Thane is coming. There were several thousand passengers
awaiting for the train. When the train came I threw myself into it and
to my great surprise, I got the window seat (I felt proud for my
experience in boarding in the train).
11:30 p.m. : The train came at Thane. It was announced soon that due to
heavy rain the train services were suspended between Thane & Kalyan.
Again, I was disappointed. I went outside the station to look for the
other means of transport. But I was too late. There were no buses, no
hotel, no phone, nothing. I could get only batata vada, it was
tasteless but at that time was priceless. I came back to the station
and searched for the shelter. There were several thousand passengers,
three trains were standing & the people were requested to take rest in
it. But all the seats were occupied. It was raining, so there was mud
and water in the train too. As I was exhausted I placed my plastic bag
in the wet floor of the train and sat down.
The new panic :
1:00 a.m. : I was tired, feeling weakness and sleepy. As I sat down I
got asleep.
2:00 a.m. : Suddenly, there was intense panic. For a while, I could not
understand what happened, then I realized that few agitated passenger
started pelting stones on the standing trains. They wanted train
services to start, as the rain had stopped. The railway authorities
continuously announced that due to water accumulation on the tracks
between Mumbra & Kalyan, train services will not commence. Again, we
came back to the train and this time I got the seat, where I slept.
3:30 a.m. : Again stone pelting, then announcement about inability to
start services.
5:30 a.m. : Trains started from Thane to CST, but it was announced
that the services towards Kalyan will not start. Again stone pelting,
panic. Few passenger had heated arguments with station master,
authorities announced that there is no sign of starting the train
services. I coursed the railway authorities and started walking towards
Dombivli.
Walk, walk and walk....... :
6:00 a.m. : There were many thousand people walking in the tracks. I
opted for the route that goes via Parsik tunnel. The rain was stopped,
the atmosphere was good, I was happy with the thought that within few
hours I will be at home. As regards walking, I never had any problem.
>>From the beginning, I was ready to walk (even from Kurla to Dombivli),
what I feared was the water level in the tracks.
7:00 a.m. : I passed through Parsik tunnel. It was a nice experience
indeed. There were many people who were coming from opposite direction.
When asked, they told that there is huge volume of water ahead between
Mumbra & Diva. Once again, I felt that still my life is not out of
danger.
7:35 a.m. : There was tremendous pool of water flowing from right
(Barvi dam, Badlapur) to left (Ulhas river), approaching public
cautioned us about the flow and insisted to follow the track No.3.
Track No.1 & 2 were already in the water. Now I realized why railway
authorities were not ready to start the train services. Truly, it was
just impossible. Now I have no complaints for railway authorities. They
are simply helpless against the fury of the nature.
8:00 a.m. : We crossed the whole stretch of about three quarters of a
kilometer in the knee high water. Approaching public include residents
of Diva village, they came in families with their belongings, luggage,
near and dear ones, including their pets (that's great !). This was a
new face of life. Once we reached to Diva, there was no flooding. I was
worried about the flooding between Diva & Dombivli, I was told that the
day before there was neck high water. Well, today there was no sign of
water in the tracks. I kept walking fast and as I approached Dombivli,
I found I was clearly struggling hard with my diminishing stamina. I
was feeling weakness. Yet, I was extremely happy that surely, today I
will reach home.
Russell's viper :
8:45 a.m. : As I kept walking on track No.1, I noticed a juvenile
snake. Sadly, it was dead. From the texture, I quickly realized that it
was a Russell's viper. Very Venomous but harmless if not provoked.
Poor creature, could not withstand the violence of the water.
Victory at last :
9:05 a.m. : At last, after 42 hours of journey, I stepped on the
platform No.5 of Dombivli station and I realized that my nightmare is
now over.
The bitter taste of flooding that I had, compelled me to think about
the earthquake, tsunami victims. This experience taught me that even
the ever lively city like Mumbai can be completely parallyzed against
the fury of the nature. In the whole nightmare, surprisingly, I hold my
nerve tightly and thereby got myself through. No doubt, thousand others
returned safely, but this event reconciled me and taught me that if you
hold your nerve tightly in the danger situation, there are high chances
that you will be through. In the entire drama, every moment, I believed
that I am not going to die now (contrary to the routine life, in which
I feel like dying every moment). That's life, isn't it ?
.
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