Mumbai:
The highest ever rainfall (37 inches in 24 hours) recorded
in India, surpassing Chirapunji's record of 83.8cm in
1910, had isolated Mumbai from the rest of the country
by the evening of July 28, as power services shut down
(except in South Mumbai), train services halted on the
their flooded tracks, phone services broke down and Mumbai's
domestic and international airport were cut off.
The
city's commuters around seven million who depend
on the suburban rail network were stranded unawares
at railway stations or on flooded roads, completely at
the mercy of the flood waters. School children were stuck
in classrooms, unable to return home because streets were
between waist- and neck-deep in water in most areas. Of
the around one thousand deaths reported in the state,
around 400 are estimated to have been in Mumbai, either
drowned or buried alive in landslides and wall collapses.
As
a result, while Mumbai's over 15-million citizens were
in the dark about conditions across the metropolis, the
rest of the country was made aware of the city's woes,
thanks to televised images as news channels covered the
floods live, while one reporter even managed to join the
resue helicopter teams. Troops were deployed to assist
the civilian authorities only 24 hours later in relief
efforts and to rescue those who had been marooned.
Chief
minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, declared a public holiday
on July 27 and 28 extending it to July 30 to prevent people
coming outdoors. Vans carrying loudspeakers urged to people
to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, as the Mumbai
meteorological department predicted "heavy to very
heavy rainfall" over the next 48 hours in Maharashtra
and adjoining states.
Schools
remained shut while offices that opened shut early to
enable people to reach home.
While
airport opened 48 hours later, train services resumed
intermittently in some parts of the city during the day
on July 28.
According
to R V Sharma, director of the meteorological department,
"This is the highest ever rainfall recorded in India's
history." Meteorologists forecast heavy rains and
high winds would continue for another 48 hours in Mumbai.
The
city's bond, commodity and currency markets suspended
trading
on July 27, though the stock market was open, (the sensex
zoomed past the 7600-mark) but was closed the next day.
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