by Sidharth Bhatia on June 6th, 2011 
The Urdu poet Shahryar correctly captured the city of Mumbai (then Bombay) when he wrote:
“Seene mein jalan, aankhon mein toofan sa kyun hai, Iss shehr mein har shaks pareshan sa kyun hai.”
Certainly, the aam janta of this sprawling metropolis is weighed down by many burdens, not the least of commuting long distances in packed trains and buses.
The miserable heat and humidity too is getting to people this summer and like ever year, the Mumbaiwallah is waiting expectantly for the monsoons to hit. That will bring coolness and relief, but it will also, inevitably, bring many hassles, which is what explains the schizophrenic attitude of residents to the four month monsoon season. Read on.
Here’s how it goes every year: by the end of May, the city is drooping in the heat. Those who can, have escaped and the roads certainly feel empty, but the vast majority has no option but to plod on. Thousands converge to the sea fronts to “eat the breeze” (hawa khane ko) but that is a temporary refuge.
Now the build up, the rains begins. Will the monsoon hit on time? Will it be normal? Are the local authorities prepared to handle the impact of the rains?
The rain gods oblige by giving a small preview: last week, a short burst of heavy rains in the evening caught everyone off guard. No one was carrying umbrellas, naturally so many got wet. And we got a taste of how things will be — there were traffic jams and puddles because the drains were not kept rain-ready.
Every year, the civic authorities declare they have the situation in hand and there won’t be any problem when the monsoons hit with all their fury; and every year, the streets get flooded. In 2005 we had the extreme situation of floods with waters reaching up to two storeys high; the memories of that horrible day, 26/7 as it is called, are singed on every Mumbaiwallah’s mind.
But with all the dread of another terrible few months, the Mumbaikar also professes a romantic attitude towards the rains. Newspapers will now be full of features on how beautiful it is when it rains, with photographs of monsoon clouds and kids jumping into the water. The big thing is to walk along the promenade and eat bhutta (corn on the cob).
And lists will be published of the best rain songs from Hindi films. Television channels will start showing those clips accompanied by flowery commentary. Perfectly sane people go gaga over the prospect of getting wet and dancing in the rain.
It is all a bit forced, if you ask me. The rains bring horrendous traffic jams and clogged drains, to say nothing of the all round dampness and illnesses. The heavenly smell of wet earth when the first rains come soon turns into the gut-wrenching pong of wet garbage. And what joy can there possibly be in travelling in a packed compartment with several wet bodies sticking to you?
By September, people are fed up of constant raining and wishing for the season to get over. Last year the rains went on and on till November, which was immediately blamed on climate change.
I sincerely hope we do not have to suffer that prospect this year. Call me unromantic, but the rains are best viewed on the screen or from a window; while my friends are planning rain parties, I am bracing for the worst.
Sidharth Bhatia is a journalist based in Bombay (Mumbai).
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
“Seene mein jalan, aankhon mein toofan sa kyun hai, Iss shehr mein har shaks pareshan sa kyun hai.”
Certainly, the aam janta of this sprawling metropolis is weighed down by many burdens, not the least of commuting long distances in packed trains and buses.
The miserable heat and humidity too is getting to people this summer and like ever year, the Mumbaiwallah is waiting expectantly for the monsoons to hit. That will bring coolness and relief, but it will also, inevitably, bring many hassles, which is what explains the schizophrenic attitude of residents to the four month monsoon season. Read on.
Here’s how it goes every year: by the end of May, the city is drooping in the heat. Those who can, have escaped and the roads certainly feel empty, but the vast majority has no option but to plod on. Thousands converge to the sea fronts to “eat the breeze” (hawa khane ko) but that is a temporary refuge.
Now the build up, the rains begins. Will the monsoon hit on time? Will it be normal? Are the local authorities prepared to handle the impact of the rains?
The rain gods oblige by giving a small preview: last week, a short burst of heavy rains in the evening caught everyone off guard. No one was carrying umbrellas, naturally so many got wet. And we got a taste of how things will be — there were traffic jams and puddles because the drains were not kept rain-ready.
Every year, the civic authorities declare they have the situation in hand and there won’t be any problem when the monsoons hit with all their fury; and every year, the streets get flooded. In 2005 we had the extreme situation of floods with waters reaching up to two storeys high; the memories of that horrible day, 26/7 as it is called, are singed on every Mumbaiwallah’s mind.
But with all the dread of another terrible few months, the Mumbaikar also professes a romantic attitude towards the rains. Newspapers will now be full of features on how beautiful it is when it rains, with photographs of monsoon clouds and kids jumping into the water. The big thing is to walk along the promenade and eat bhutta (corn on the cob).
And lists will be published of the best rain songs from Hindi films. Television channels will start showing those clips accompanied by flowery commentary. Perfectly sane people go gaga over the prospect of getting wet and dancing in the rain.
It is all a bit forced, if you ask me. The rains bring horrendous traffic jams and clogged drains, to say nothing of the all round dampness and illnesses. The heavenly smell of wet earth when the first rains come soon turns into the gut-wrenching pong of wet garbage. And what joy can there possibly be in travelling in a packed compartment with several wet bodies sticking to you?
By September, people are fed up of constant raining and wishing for the season to get over. Last year the rains went on and on till November, which was immediately blamed on climate change.
I sincerely hope we do not have to suffer that prospect this year. Call me unromantic, but the rains are best viewed on the screen or from a window; while my friends are planning rain parties, I am bracing for the worst.
Sidharth Bhatia is a journalist based in Bombay (Mumbai).
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
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