This day that year - Day 1

By reading the heading most of you might have got an idea what this post would be, also with most of the dailies and news channels relaying the visuals of the event that happened this very day last year. Most of us who were staying in Mumbai might have gone through similar situation or maybe even worse. So this post is basically what I had been through on this very day, the details about the next that is of 27^th July, I will write in a new post tomorrow. I wanted to write this experience of mine a long time back but later on thought of posting it on this very day.

I used to stay in Panvel at the time of this deluge, and also at ground floor. The day began as usual waking up at the same time and getting ready for office, there was a change that it was raining since early morning, and the road a few meters away from my house which was my normal approach to the railway station was flowing with water at 4 ft. so I had to take a different route to reach the station, it wasn’t raining that heavily but it was raining. I caught the train and reached my office which is about 15 min by train that is in Belapur. Even at office the day was like any other day. By the time it was afternoon it started to pour heavily and some of started to get concerned about the rain, but everyone including me had the same thinking that it will stop soon. It was also the birthday of one of our support staff members and we had a small party at our office premises. Maybe this birthday I might not forget for a long long time. The area outside our office had already started to flood and the water level was rising to the silencer level of most of the two wheelers. By the time it was 4:30 we had got orders from the higher officials to vacate the premises as water had started to get into the ground floor of our building. By 5 PM even I thought of moving out of office. We came to know that the trains were not running and we had to take a bus till Panvel. I and one of my colleague who also stayed in Panvel moved out of office. When we reached ground floor we could see almost 2 to 4 inch of water on the ground floor, even though it was at considerable height water had managed to come in. The electric personnel’s started to shut down mains as they feared of short circuit or electrocution. The water level outside the main entrance was about 3 ft. we both somehow managed to come through the water and obviously we were wet till our thighs. Somehow we managed to reach the highway at Belapur, there were a lot people stranded there without any transport system available, and those which were coming were full till the doors, also there was traffic jam which is very unlikely in this area on any given time of a day. We stayed there for around half an hour for a bus but we couldn’t board any. The police personnel’s present there made a point in sending the ladies first in all the available transport systems. Finally we got a chance to go on a truck. It was raining heavily with wind, and over that we were in an open truck. It was very difficult to manage the balance and also hold the umbrella in position after a few distance I closed my umbrella as there was no point in keeping it open. We got down at Panvel highway and walked along the road and we moved to our homes. The road to my home was still flooded with water. Somehow I reached home and I could see water in front of my house.

So finally I reached home but there was no electricity and I started with lighting candles and just thinking of having some snacks and evening tea. It was 7:30 in the evening and after changing my dress I was out at my entrance door to see how the water is behaving. It had started to fill in some of the houses which were at a lower height, I knew that if this continues it won’t be long that my house will also be filled with water. At about 8 PM the water started to come inside my house. But something in me knew that it’s going to be worse, so I decided to move out of my house and go to my relative’s house which is Vashi, I changed my dress kept all the belongings at a pretty safer height on my kitchen platform and put one set of dress in my rather small bag and stuffed it with biscuit packet and a bottle of water and moved out of my house. When I came out of my house the water level was about 4 ft. I crossed the same path to reach the highway still unaware what is stored in for me and also couldn't judge the gravity of the situation. I was still hoping that the rains will stop in some time and the water will recede and everything will come back to normal. Reaching the highway I found that no buses were stopping there, so thought of moving to the bus depot and catching the bus from there. I could see the ST busses coming in to the depot but no busses moving out of the depot. I thought of having some food and ended up with vadapav, the only thing available at that moment. I purchased some packets of biscuit which would be good atleast till the next day as reserves. After waiting for about an hour heard the rumor that the train service have started, I got a company till the railway station. We both were hoping against hope that the trains will start, but to our bad luck or good luck the trains were not plying. It was 9:30 pm by then, there was an announcement that arrangements were made at the schools in that area for peoples affected by flooding, but the approach roads were full with about 6 to 7 ft of water. I tried to see that if there was any approach to the schools mentioned, but there wasn’t any. A person was standing in that heavy rain with flooding around for his company bus. I casually asked him why are you standing there to which he told that the company bus is coming to pick him up. I told him that there is no way that any vehicle can come till there that night. He agreed after knowing the fact that the water is indeed very much and made way to his home. Meanwhile I moved back to railway station which was luckily not flooded with water. The foot over bridge was occupied by nearby slum people. I decided to see a place to atleast sit on the railway platform for that night. Luckily I got a place there to sit but the platform was open, I started to feel cold since I was wet and there was breeze along with the rain. I couldn’t stay any longer there and moved near the ticket counter area as the rest rooms were given to ladies. Luckily had some newspaper of that day and finally I sat there near the ticket counter to avoid the cool breeze. It was 12 in the night I was awake and saw that my mobile network was still working, but it didn’t last long and even that too went off. I could see some more people stranded like me trying to call their near and dear ones and telling them that they are safe and would reach home as soon as this rains stop. Some of them were smoking cigarette to overcome cold. I couldn’t control my sleep and slept there itself in sitting position.

This was the experience of this day, the experience of the next day will be published tomorrow.