From: Bernice pereira Rains in Mumbai Mr Naguesh compares the rains in Mumbai to the calamity in Texas and Louisiana. Let me inform u that the reasons for the flooding are incomparable. The Hurricane Harvey caused major destruction which was uncontrollable. Yet those states have put in every effort and worked relentlessly to bring whatever order they could in that situation. In mumbai where I have lived for the major part of my life, this was a matter of a bad drainage system. Every year it is the same story, potholes on roads are not repaired, drains are not cleaned, the municipality fills their own coffers with taxes from the public. One heavy shower and the streets are flooded. This year it rained very heavily and this was the result. This was just heavy rain not a natural calamity like a hurricane, tornado or typhoon.
---------------- GL responds In the midst of the news of flooding at Houston, the recent calamity in Mumbai made it in the national evening news in America. And we commensurate with the loss of life with the collapse of a building in Bhendi Bazaar and other tragedies. The one that was a topic of conversation with my wife was the Mumbai doctor walking close to his home in the knee-deep water and stepped into an unseen open manhole and drowned. Looking back I wonder how we survived the side-walks and potholes of Mumbai which are never fully fixed. The results are very uneven surfaces and ditches which can cause falls and fractures especially when walking at night or running to catch a bus or other reasons. I agree with Bernice that the tragedies of once-in-century hurricane in America or elsewhere cannot be equated with the tragedies of expected annual monsoon season in India and Bangladesh. Regards, GL
