Monday, July 20, 2009

Monsoon Mayhem in Mumbai

Waiting for the rains and then it poured on July 14th, Mumbai again came to a standstill. No matter how much hard earned tax-payers money is utilised (are they by the BMC) the situataion is still the same.

Just a down pour for 10 hrs and 200 MM of rains this time , remember in 2005 it was 990MM , but we were still struggling to survive, the Mithi river had crossed the danger mark and then it receded because the rains stopped, other wise it was disaster.

Garodia Nagar and the surrounding colonies were as usual flooded, and as written in my earlier post, this year it was more so because the BMC started tiling the concrete cover over the gutters post June 20th, and the mess and quality is less said the better.

Clicked few flooding photos of the day - couldn't take out the camera as it was very heavy rains and would have damaged it beyond repair.

Now the eclipse and the hide tide for the next few days will determine wheter the city be able to survive if the rains are heavy on these days.

The neighbours from the ground floor did not want to take a chance and few have them have kept some of their furniture's other stuff with mattress in higher floor residents homes.

But all in all a welcome relief from the unbearable summers and water shortage problems.

Friday, July 3, 2009

New Shops in Ghatkopar

Most of the shops in Ghatkopar east springing up is either Garments - Readymade for men / women or it is Opticians.

Walking on rainy Wednesday night saw 2 Optical Stores, Lawrence & Mayo the famous age old opticians from D N Road - Fort in downtown Mumbai has come up near the Home Mart Store in the same building. Huge place with good collections of frames .

The Other one is bang opposite it next to Mayur electronics - in compound the Ratna Stores.

Think its the new age distractions ( Mobile / Ipod / TV / Comp ) that people have got used to with little or no outdoor activity due to this many have eyesight problems .

Just in the vicinity of Odeon theatre to Ghatkopar station east and near west there on last count will be atleast 17 optical store. whew think it a big margin business that so many in such a short time have started this.

Mumbai Flooding - Garodia Nagar

Down and out for some time due to tooth surgery. It has been raining whole week here in Ghatkopar and is something very good for the people / country and agriculture.

Water woes has been the word all that we are hearing all around the country and with the coming of rains has brought a God sent relief.

Garodia nagar has been facing the same problems year after year , the BMC and the people just turn blind eye and move on, its only gutsy few who have stood up and raised the issue time and again, of these most of them are retired people past 65 years.

The residents have not bothered to see how the BMC and the utility companies do a shoddy job and run away, and consequence of all this the entire colony has to face.

The Local corporator has done little to see what the plight of the colony is , nor the MP or the MLA who by the way stays just a few minutes from the colony.

BMC started the cleaning fo the gutters on June 10th in Garodia Nagar and left all the debris/garbage on the roads and having had enough time with delayed rains which started only on June 24th the garbage is still on the road and now is a stinking slippery and dirty muck all over the road.

The BMC started tiling the concrete cover of the gutter which again started On June 20th and has still not finished, the result is the contractor has left all the sands/ left over mixed cement and debris without bothering to have it collected and packed off in the garbage trucks. The entire colony is filled with muck , most of which have blocking the opening to the gutter and water being collected all over the roads, making life miserable for the residents to walk, and vehicles passing by splashing the muck on people who have no choice but to walk that path.

Yet inspite fo this none bother to stop and ask the contractor to have the area clean up after the work .

They city and garodia nagar has witnessed many flooding, epidemic , health hazards due to all this, but not many will stop and take and initiate or come together to that some thing more can be done by just walking by and suffering quitely.