Mumbaikars gear up to tackle floods this monsoon

The people of Mumbai are all geared up to take on the monsoon rains this year by arranging disaster management kits to better equip themselves to tackle floods in the city.

Mumbai, June 3 : The people of Mumbai are all geared up to take on the monsoon rains this year by arranging disaster management kits to better equip themselves to tackle floods in the city.

With memories still fresh in their minds of the 2005 floods that hit the western metropolis in which more than 1,000 people were killed across Maharashtra, Mumbaikars are bracing themselves for the June-September rains, which have already hit Kerala four days ahead of the normal date.

Residents of several colonies in the city have taken steps to ensure that they are not caught off guard this year.

In Chembur locality, residents society of Pestorm Sagar, a locality consisting of 120 buildings, have set up a forum for advanced locality management and to reach help to people immediately in the instance of a flood.

The forum has put together a disaster management kit, which comprises of lifejackets, lifebuoys, oxygen tanks, fogging machines, stretchers and first aid. There is also a dedicated jeep that will be used for rescue missions.

The forum, which has doctors on panel and people trained in rescue operations and first aid, says it is not entirely dependant on municipal authorities.

"We thought that why not we equip ourselves and be ready for any kind of disaster. We feel that we (the residents societies) should help the authorities so that together we really bring some relief to the people," said Jyoti Basu, president of the residents' society.

In neighbouring Air India Colony, one of the worst hit localities of the 2005 deluge, residents have taken upon themselves to deal with a crisis in the absence of an initiative from the housing society.

For the Kawale family, who live on the ground floor, traumatic memories haunt even now. Unable to move to a higher ground, they are leaving nothing to chance, and have packed some of their belongings in case of an emergency.

"We have packed our goods clothes, certificates, important documents, school and college books of our children, uniforms, everything, so that in case anything happens we will just pick it up and go on the top," said Veena Kawale.

In 2005, two days of heavy rain in July showed up the pathetic infrastructure and dismal emergency response in Mumbai.

The floods killed hundreds of people, mostly by drowning or landslides, and caused widespread damage, closing down the city for nearly a week.

ANI