Govt. indifference to Mumbaikars’ flood ordeal

This is not the first time that Mumbaikars have experienced water logging due to heavy and incessant rains for the first time. They have experienced more devastating water logging scene than this one, but what they have not seen is the inefficient, callous, lethargic and negligent govt. of Maharashtra like this incumbent one. BJP is ruling in the state and at the Centre. But the response of the government in Mumbai to the ordeal of Mumbaikars is horrible. Mumbai is not only the capital of Maharashtra but it is also the commercial capital of the nation. It is a cosmopolitan city where people from all over the world live. It has cosmopolitan character. The successive government at the Centre has always been assuring Mumbaikars of making Mumbai Shanghai or Singapore but what they see is that its condition is getting worse and worse. This is new India where everything happens opposite to the promises made by PM and Ministers. This time Meteorological department had cautioned the Maharastra govt. of heavy rains in advance. But the Fadnavis govt. took no measure to deal with the devastating water logging in the city. It is because ruling politicians neither themselves nor their relatives stuck in waist deep water on the roads nor none of them lost lives. Apart from the sheer failure of Maharashtra govt. in alleviating the pain of Mumbaikars caused by heavy rains and logging of water all over the city, the largest and the richest civic body BMC has also failed miserably to help the people. Near about dozen Mumbaikers died due to water logging in the city. It appears that the commercial capital, which is known for Bollywood all over the world, the city has been left to disorder, disturbance, and flounder. The civic body of Mumbai (BMC) is ruled by Shiva Sena, the partner in BJP state and central governments and its oldest allies. The worsening condition of Mumbai on Tuesday clearly reflected the inefficiency of the state govt. and BMC. It is surprising that despite the unbearable hardship caused by water logging in the city, no word against Shiv Sena boss or BJP govt. is spoken. This is the utter failure of BMC and govt. in tackling the situation. When the early warning of heavy rains on Tuesday was already given, why did neither the civic body nor the govt. take any preventive measure? It is well known that rains cannot be stopped, but smooth functioning of drainage could be ensured. The drains all over the city are choked. No govt. or civic official take any measure to clear it. Water logging is a perennial problem in the city. There needs to be well-planning for the passage of water smoothly. Fadnavis govt. and Shiv Sena run BMC but pay no attention to improve the civic life in the cosmopolitan city. The water logging in Mumbai must have been watched on TV news channels all over the world. What picture about Mumbai water logging would have been painted outside the country. As the flood waters receded in Mumbai, the grim task of taking stock of the havoc wreaked on the city got underway. According to latest reports, five people died and seven were reported missing while at least 11 were injured since Tuesday's torrential downpour. A 29-year-old lawyer was among those killed by the deluge. He was found dead inside his car after floodwaters receded at King's Circle on Wednesday, a chilling throwback to the death by suffocation of at least 16 people in cases where they were locked inside their cars during the 2005 flood. Meanwhile, multiple disaster control agencies had begun a manhunt for noted gastroenterologist (58), who is feared to have been sucked into a manhole on Senapati Bapat Marg during Tuesday's downpour. It means that in New India the life and property of the people will be left at the mercy of God and the govt. would be looking as the mute spectator to the people's woes.