Mumbai Monsoon: Romance Dead, Misery Lives On

Mumbai's monsoon season, historically depicted with cinematic flair, now presents a harsh reality, according to the author's observations. Upon returning to the city in May 2024, after years away, the experience of the monsoon shifted from romanticized to starkly dangerous. This year's early monsoon weeks have already seen severe incidents.

Tragically, two 15-year-old college students were electrocuted in Navi Mumbai after stepping into waterlogged streets with a short circuit. In Chembur, an 11-year-old boy lost his life when a tree, previously flagged for damage, fell on his school bus, injuring five others. Beaches also suffered from accumulated waste washing ashore.

Further highlighting the monsoon's dangers, a 22-year-old man was fatally stabbed on a local train during an argument over keeping a door open against the rain. Flooding has impacted various parts of the city, turning streets into rivers and leading to overcrowded travel conditions.

The author criticizes the handling of recurring monsoon-related tragedies, pointing to officials downplaying dangers like falling trees. Despite the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) being Asia's richest municipal corporation with budgets exceeding Rs 74,000 crore, issues such as electrocution, fallen trees, and open drains persist annually, leading to loss of life.