Mumbai's monsoon is back and the city is underwater again

For those of you who (hypothetically) made a wish à la Obsession's One-Wish-Willow-style for the monsoon to come, how are you doing now?

The delay in the onset of the monsoon in Mumbai had been, in previous days, a cause for concern, not only because of the heat, but also because the lakes' water levels (which supply the city's drinking water) were dangerously low. 

But on Monday morning, in a span of just four hours, a heavy downpour left key parts of the city submerged. 

Which parts got the most rain?

The eastern suburbs recorded the highest rainfall: Mankhurd received 123.4 mm, Powai 122 mm, Bhandup 122 mm, Mulund 160 mm, etc. In the western suburbs, Versova got 157 mm, Marol got 108.4 mm, and parts of Andheri East received 104 mm of rain.

Townside, the showers were moderate, with Matunga getting 53.4 mm, Worli 53 mm, Dadar 45.6 mm, and Malabar Hill 37.2 mm of rainfall.

Which roads were impacted?

Monday morning's commute came with its own challenges. Continuous downpour led to waterlogging in various parts of Mumbai. The usual suspect, the Andheri subway, was completely inundated, halting traffic movement. Large stretches of LBS Marg (Mulund side) were also waterlogged, leading to crawling, bumper-to-bumper traffic. At night, King’s Circle was also slightly waterlogged, but traffic movement was not impacted. Bandra and Kurla, too, saw slow traffic movement.

Should we brace for more rain?

IMD has issued warnings that Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra will continue to get heavy rainfall in early July. But we need the rains in the catchment areas more because Mumbai's drinking water reserves are declining. Despite Monday’s heavy showers, the water stock is below 7%. 

As for the city’s same parts drowning in heavy rainfall, year-on-year, the authorities, despite 'efforts', seem to have no definitive solution to avoid it. Blame it on geography, concretisation, or whatever you may; the truth remains that streets will be waterlogged, and commuters will continue to suffer, but the 'spirit of Mumbai' will certainly be plastered all over. Mumbai's monsoon will continue to be a test of patience.