Mumbai rains: 8-yr-old loses entire family, but BMC couldn't care less

Eight-year-old Priya Nanavare stares at emptiness sitting on a bench at the HBT Trauma Care Municipal Hospital in Jogeshwari. She was miraculously rescued by a resident of the area when she was washed out by the force of the water as the wall collapsed on her house in Malad. Priya lost her whole family in the incident — her parents, sisters and a three-year-old brother. Perhaps, it's too tender an age to understand what's befallen her.

"My elder son brought Priya to us late at night. She has sustained minor injuries but was lucky to have been saved. Her grandparents and other relatives will be in Mumbai to perform the last rites of her family members," said Savita Pawar, a relative of Priya who stays in Malad.

However, unlike Priya, her elder sister Sanchita (15) was not lucky enough as she was trapped inside the heap of debris and even a 12-hour long rescue operation couldn't reach her. Sanchita was heard asking for water for hours. The rescue team did provide her with oxygen, ORS solutions, and glucose. But she was already dead when taken out. Her parents Laxman and Ranobai, sister Deepa (12), and brother Parshuram (2) too perished.

"Sanchita could have survived had she been rescued a bit earlier. The authorities were not efficient enough in carrying out the rescue operations," her relative Anshuman said.

Reports say that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team could not carry all the equipment to the site of the tragedy.

(Rescue operations underway)

At least 22 people, including children, lost their lives after a 25-foot long compound wall collapsed on the shelters of residents at the Pimpripada area in Malad (East) during the night intervening Monday and Tuesday.

BMC had constructed the wall two years back. However, continuous rains impacted its foundation leading to its fall. The wall was constructed after demolishing the earlier 35-year-old wall in order to demarcate the boundary between the residential area and the land belonging to the forest department. The BMC reservoir which is situated at the top of the forest area is also used by the Pimpripada residents to acquire water for domestic use, a resident said.

Meanwhile, showing scant regard for the sombre situation, Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Joshi declared in a press conference that the slum was illegally built.

The correspondent present at the area on Tuesday located a body that was buried under the debris far away from the main spot. The deceased was identified as Komal, who recently got married and was at her maternal home for a ritual.

"At least 15 members of our family, including my husband and a 6-yr-old son, were sleeping. After the wall collapsed, the water flooded our house and everything disappeared. A cupboard accidentally fell on my legs injuring me," said Usha Jadhav (35), a relative of Komal.

During the early hours of Tuesday, the Kurar police, Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), NDRF and the police dog squad arrived and all the nearby slums were vacated. Chief Fire Officer, PS Rahangdale said, "After getting the call, a total 5 teams were deployed. However, we had to face some difficulties initially. We don't have exact figures, but initially, about 30 to 40 injured persons were rushed to hospitals by locals. Search is still on."

Meanwhile, locals said that the remaining part of the retaining wall will also collapse considering it is tilting towards the ground.

Rains pour, so fly words

While Mumbai puts up with the rain and the woes that come along with it, the powers that be utter sentences that are not only unacceptable but also obnoxious. Here are some gems… 

May 2018 

Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar 

While taking stock of the nullah-cleaning work at a Metro site in Santacruz, he says: “Because of MMRDA’s Metro work near Teacher’s Colony, there are chances of waterlogging if there is heavy rainfall, as they have damaged our sewerage lines, as well as the stormwater drainage.”

August 2017 

Uddhav Thackeray

Irritated by a scribe’s question as to what he was doing when it rained heavily on August 29, Thackeray said, “I was sleeping when it rained. Can you stop the rain?”

August 2017  

Ajoy Mehta 

During an interview with DNA, Mehta said: “There is a limit to preparations.”