Flooded Mumbai
Many people put entries on their blogs extolling the inhabitants of Mumbai for braving the highest rainfall ever in India, for not giving in. Meanwhile the TV channels continuously aired the scenes of vehicles half submerged in water; interviews from people stranded on roads, in offices, trains, airports and elsewhere- In all, whole of India sticking to their TV sets could feel what it was about to be in Mumbai at that time.
I say readers, what else could people of Mumbai do?
Walter Cannon in 1920s introduced the concept of Fight-or-Flight response which holds true in our very own case. People of Mumbai couldn’t choose to run away from their well-set homes and businesses and so obviously the response they chose was to fight.
I wonder if people of Delhi or Kolkatta would have done anything different.
Though these rains exposed the vulnerability of India’s financial capital and its physical and communication infrastructure, Media-especially TV- played the role of a good Samaritan helping people a lot by flashing their messages on TV for their near and dear ones whom they couldn’t contact. Unfortunately, some anti-social elements engaged in looting while people ran away from their homes to save themselves.
Also, children from many schools couldn't reach their homes for almost 18 hours.
In the wake of loss of more than Rs. 4000 Crore, Government leaders largely remained underground surfacing only when the rains subsided showing complete apathy.
More than 1500 people lost their lives (actual figures yet unknown) due to floods and in the aftermath of epidemics which still looms large on Mumbai’s head. Carcasses of cows, buffaloes, dogs, goats etc were dumped in thousands- these dumping grounds are now the graveyard of toxic waste. Leptospirosis, after the floods, claimed some 70 lives in Mumbai.
It’s a pity that esteemed metropolitans of our country do not have a natural calamity disaster plan in place and during these times people have nobody but themselves to look at for help.
If Mumbai being a so-called sophisticated city bowed down to the floods, i shudder to think what would have been the condition of people in various village of Mahrashtra that were flooded.
You can read more on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Maharashtra_floods
I say readers, what else could people of Mumbai do?
Walter Cannon in 1920s introduced the concept of Fight-or-Flight response which holds true in our very own case. People of Mumbai couldn’t choose to run away from their well-set homes and businesses and so obviously the response they chose was to fight.
I wonder if people of Delhi or Kolkatta would have done anything different.
Though these rains exposed the vulnerability of India’s financial capital and its physical and communication infrastructure, Media-especially TV- played the role of a good Samaritan helping people a lot by flashing their messages on TV for their near and dear ones whom they couldn’t contact. Unfortunately, some anti-social elements engaged in looting while people ran away from their homes to save themselves.
Also, children from many schools couldn't reach their homes for almost 18 hours.
In the wake of loss of more than Rs. 4000 Crore, Government leaders largely remained underground surfacing only when the rains subsided showing complete apathy.
More than 1500 people lost their lives (actual figures yet unknown) due to floods and in the aftermath of epidemics which still looms large on Mumbai’s head. Carcasses of cows, buffaloes, dogs, goats etc were dumped in thousands- these dumping grounds are now the graveyard of toxic waste. Leptospirosis, after the floods, claimed some 70 lives in Mumbai.
It’s a pity that esteemed metropolitans of our country do not have a natural calamity disaster plan in place and during these times people have nobody but themselves to look at for help.
If Mumbai being a so-called sophisticated city bowed down to the floods, i shudder to think what would have been the condition of people in various village of Mahrashtra that were flooded.
You can read more on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Maharashtra_floods
posted by Shoonya at
12:51 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home