Mumbaikars still reminisce July 26, 2005 floods, the deluge and damages to lives
Mumbaikars still reminisce
July 26, 2005 floods, the deluge and damages to lives
The July 26, 2005 floods, the deluge and damages to lives and property is reminisced.
It was one of the murkiest days in the history of the financial hub, Mumbai, the city of dreams and the city that never sleeps.
On that fateful Tuesday, 26 July,2005, Mumbai faced an
groundbreaking calamity as heavy rains pounded wreaking havoc in its wake.
Rainfall began in a normal pace as the clock struck midnight, finally turning into a relentless deluge. Mumbai received a whopping 37 inches of rain in mere 24 hours, with 26 inches pouring down in just four hours.
This downpour topped the annual rainfall of various places around the country, including the famed Cherapunji, acknowledged for having the world’s highest rainfall.
The catastrophe was caused by the eighth-heaviest 24-hour rainfall ever recorded, 944 mm (37.17 inches), which marooned the city and continued sporadically into the next day. Rainwater and sewage mixed, contaminated the city’s water supply. As a result, the government ordered housing societies to add chlorine to their water tanks to provide safe drinking water.
The city’s infrastructure was overwhelmed by the onslaught. Floodwaters rose, drowning low-lying roads and residences. Over 1000 lives were tragically lost, and numerous homes were damaged, leaving the city paralyzed. Lakhs of people were trapped far from their homes, desperately looking for transportation in the thick of the turmoil. Tens of thousands of animal corpses drifted in the floodwaters, increasing fear of potential pandemic.
The transit network, which is normally Mumbai’s lifeline, was crippled. The floodwaters destroyed 37,000 auto rickshaws, 4,000 taxis and 900 BEST buses, while forcing 10,000 trucks and tempos off the road. Local trains, the major source of the city’s daily commute, were also halted owing to water-logged tracks.
The floods caused extensive damage to property, infrastructure, and businesses. The estimated economic loss from the event amounted to billions of dollars.
The question why Mumbai experiences heavy rain
experts explain that the climatic events leading to the calamity were not unexpected amidst the monsoon season
a low-pressure region over the north Bay of Bengal, bringing winds from the Arabian Sea, might always pose a significant threat.
The resultant westerly winds activate an off-shore trough along the west coast which creates an upper-level cyclonic circulation. The moisture incursion is enhanced to the upper-level cyclonic circulation leading to the formation of rain-bearing clouds. This is the same dynamics behind most of the heavy rain spell over Mumbai.
A low-pressure area gradually intensified into a well-defined low in the days leading up to July 26, 2005, carrying moisture from the Arabian Sea. The convergence of these meteorological systems resulted in the creation of dense clouds, resulting in heavy rain for almost 6-8 hours.
News Edit K.V.Raman
