Damage means no lull in work after this storm

Waves lash the Gateway of India walkway on Monday. Pic/AFP

One of the most enduring images of the recent days must be the rearing of angry waves at the Gateway of India, as Cyclone Tauktae rolled ominously past Mumbai.

WhatsApp buzzed with videos and images of waves lashing against the walls abutting Mumbai's landmark and tourist magnet and rose ferociously making short work of the barriers.

Reports state that the water force has damaged a sea facing safety wall, some jetty stones have got dislodged and a portion of the footpath has caved in. The sea as if in a gesture of disgust and defiance threw heaps of garbage back, slamming it against the monument. The civic authorities claimed they picked up trucks of trash from the area, a very poor commentary on visitors and locals who use the sea as a large garbage can.

We can only hope that just as this outbreak has taught us hygiene within our four walls, constant hand washing, keeping our homes cleaner than ever, using washrooms with care and discipline, we are reborn in a way, with much more respect for our environment.

There have been so many go green movements, initiatives for awareness about rubbish in the sea, but it needs a crisis of mammoth proportions to show us that cleanliness is truly up there, not just in our homes but outside too. The world outside is not your trash can, so do not treat it as such.

Meanwhile, we hope repairs are done quickly and more importantly, are thorough at this spot. This is a very important site and broken walls can certainly be dangerous. Instead of the usual passing the buck, the relevant authorities need to take charge and begin fixing the damage, finishing before the monsoon hits the city in earnest.