6th July 2005 - A day we cannot forget !!

I was working late in the office and was concerned of reaching home, as it was pouring outside. But this was the case every day in monsoons. I quickly packed my bag, took my half broken umbrella and left my office. I checked my watch before leaving, it was showing 6:00 PM. There were several news flashes on radio of water logging in various places in Mumbai. But I didn’t care, it has been almost 3 decades for me living in Mumbai and these things were not new for me.

On my way to railway station, I saw drivers pushing their rickshaws. I was working in Juhu and wanted to catch the harbor line local. I was walking fast to reach the station as quickly as possible, because of heavy rains there were not enough rickshaws on the road. After walking for few meters, I saw there was a huge water logging in the other side of the road. I thought, it was obvious because that section of the road was a low lying area. I entered into the water, the water was reaching my hips, I somehow waded the water quickly and reached the other end. Till that time, it was dark and even my umbrella broke due to heavy breeze.

Then suddenly all the street lights were gone and there was dense darkness on the street. There were lots of people on the road who wanted to reach the station. Sun was setting and there was little bit of light, through which the road could be judged. I was able to reach the other side quite quickly as thought, I am certainly not a swimmer, but from my childhood days, I had affection towards water. But I was shocked seeing a big crowd in the side. Out of curious, I went to the crowd to see what the matter was. I couldn’t believe what I saw. The main road connecting that road was totally filled with water.

The whole scean was very terrifying and I realized what was happening or what has happened. I stared to walking towards the nearest railway station but soon I realized that I was moving to the same location from where I started, judging the directions in the dark was very hard and I had to again go back. I could see cars floating in the water and busses were half filled with water. People were panicking on the nature’s surprise.

Walking in the flowing water was not easy, my jeans were totally wet and the weight of the jeans ached my legs, at some point standing was just unbearable. But I was not having any other option but to keep walking. The potholes were opened at different sections of the road, but to judge potholes or even the divider was a problem was water was flowing over them. I took the option of following the crowd and reached to the nearest safe point. I checked my watch, it was showing 9:00 PM, I lost 4 hrs in this effort.

Trains were stopped because of the water logging in the stations and there was no indication of when they would resume. I reached the station and saw people were sitting on the bench and even on the foot over bridge. I somehow managed to make my way through them and landed to the other side. Rains stopped for some time and fortunately there were ample lights to see. I waited there for some time for any means I could get to reach home and soon I saw a bus coming. There was no one in the bus, I tried to run to stop the bus but because of my jeans, I couldn’t do. I asked couple of taxi drivers to take me home and I could give them whatever money they want, but all of them refused. I realized that the same thing happened here also.

I realized to start walking in the same way, but this time because of the exertion I was feeling hungry. I thought of having something and then start walking but there was not a single shop open. It was just 9:30 PM and everything was closed. I had no option but to start walking. Fortunately, I could see the road because the street lights were working.  I thought of going to the highway and was confident that I will get some sort of commutation to home. There were some places where water had logged till the hip and even higher than hip level.

I reached the highway faster than previous effort but there was the same problem. I could see only people walking, nothing apart from that was there on the road. I met with one guy and he told me that he was walking all the way from CST station. I sat in a place and calculated the distance, it was around 25 – 30 Kms more to reach home and there was nothing to take me there. I have to walk to my home, but how?? I was thirsty; I was hungry and dead tired. Somewhere in my mind said that I might not reach home tonight and more over my mobile was also dead.

I followed the crowd and could see there were many volunteers distributing water bottles and biscuit packets to people. I felt relieved; I at once grabbed some biscuit packets and a bottle of water. All though we always recommend, not to borrow anything from strangers but that time, it was a fight for survival. I checked my watched, It was showing 12:00 AM and that was the last place I could see the light. I also saw the same bus which I left in the station standing there filled with people. I think, they found that to be the most secure option rather than risking their own life. But I thought of trying.

I entered in the water again, this time water was very much cold and reached till my chest. There was a high tide and water was expected to rise more. People were walking in it making a human chain. The situation looked scary as all the vehicles were parked on the bridge. I still remember it was a full moon night and rain had stopped for some time. People were guiding others while walking through water.

I appreciated this Mumbai feeling and felt proud of being a mumbaikar. I covered good amount of distance but was not feeling to even stand. I thought of sitting in a place for sometime before starting again. Determination and courage overcome my sleep. I made a plan to reach home, I thought, somehow I have to reserve my energy till the end of this ordeal and for that I should get equal portions of rest. I never saw my watch after that. I started walking and eventually taking rest in between.

Many of you guys might know that Mumbai and New Mumbai is divided by a creek and there is no other way to reach new Mumbai without crossing the bridge. Because of heavy rains the water roused to the height of the bridge and there was no light on the bridge. As a result crossing that was a direct threat to the life. I could see the violent sound of water flowing under the bridge. Police blocked the whole bridge giving a HIGH DENGER alert.

But people were impatient and wanted to reach home, when it was just a bridge distance. On high demand, police allowed us to cross the bridge but at our own risk. I thought, if now I move back then my whole effort will be wasted. I took god’s name and started to cross the bridge. The bridge was old and was cracked from many places. I can also see the water hitting the edges of the bridge but I cannot stop now. I ran to the other end of the bridge.

New Mumbai is a high level area and there is no water logging, there were also enough lights on the streets, so there was not a problem. I got a lift from a biker to some distance near to my place. But situation there was much worse than Mumbai.

Due to heavy rains, water crossed the danger marks in all the dams near my place and to save the dams from the increasing water pressure they had to open the doors. The water coming from there washed all the villages which came in its way. Huge number of deaths recorded in those areas and all of them were in sleep. Dead bodies came floating in the water. I could see several people floating in water….dead.

My building is a 3 floor building and I saw my car floating in the water. Water reached above the first floor and it was fortunate that we have a parking in the first floor. I lived in the 2^nd floor of the same building. I reached home and my mother started crying after seeing me safe and sound. She has having negative thoughts of my survival seeing the dead bodies floating on the water. I checked the watch and it showed 4:00 AM.

I was living in Panvel and was working in Juhu on a project. The distance between both the places is very much to travel as a direct train taken almost 1 hr 30 mins to reach one direction.

Today also when I remember the whole episode, I get goose bumps. But this has increased my passion and love for Mumbai. The spirit of helping others is what impressed me. In the time, when people were thinking of saving their own lives, there were few people helping to save others life. People they have never met neither will be meeting again, but that was the time, we all came together to help and give comfort to others in the time of crises. Mumbai came together not to save a particular cast or creed but to save a universal emotion called “Brotherhood” and “Humanity”. Not a single government official’s neither a politician showed their face that day. They were sleeping on their cozy beds when entire Mumbai was on the streets.