Cyclone Tauktae: Gymkhanas in Mumbai are now swimkhanas

Every monsoon the cityrsquos South Mumbai sunset boulevard Marine Drive becomes the go to destination for many Pandemic restrictions over the last two years have punctured plans to gadabout at the Queenrsquos Necklace Even with the area always buffeted by strong winds and heavy rain Monday was manic at another levelParsee Gymkhana building PicSuresh KarkeraThe Catholic Gymkhanarsquos Covid19 Care Centre moved six people from the ground floor to the first floor ldquoas the rain made our ground into a veritable swimming poolrdquo said Norbert Pereira Hon general secretary Catholic Gymkhana Pereira said that the BMC had put steel beds ldquoThere are 50 beds on the ground floor and 30 in the badminton court The BMC workers will eventually pump out the water We are in the direct line of rain and winds our grounds have seen huge flooding before Usually it is manageable during low tide but high tide makes things a little more difficultrdquo Pereira addedAlso Read Cyclone Tauktae Dahisar jumbo centre damagedAt the Bhinmal Jain Sangh centre taking in Covid19 patients at the Hindu Gymkhana ldquothe cyclone Tauktaersquos fury has come as a huge wake up call and proved a catalyst for our monsoon preparations We have already bought rainwear for our staffers at the centre preponing these essential purchases which were scheduled for the last week of Mayrdquo said Mukesh Vardhan convenor of the Hindu Gymkhana Covid19 centreVardhan continued ldquoWe have 100 beds with oxygen facilities for 30 and the remaining 70 are regular ones We have been working since early Monday morning because of the heavy rain The patients about 38 are housed in the building not on the grounds We do have spare oxygen cylinders as we are not taking any chances because of the rain which may cause delaysrdquo Vardhan clarified that though the name of the unit is Jain Sangh Centre the free facility is for all communitiesCatholic GymkhanaHe further said ldquoWe have stocked up on veggies and kitchen supplies as we do not know what will happen in the next twothree daysrdquo With the open grounds of the gymkhanas turning into lakes ponds and pools dexterous dealing and deferring original plans is the need of the dayIt is a full stop for the Parsee Gymkhana in line with its siblings on the Marine Drive stretch A vaccination centre was to open on the premises on Monday but Cyclone Tauktae has announced its impending arrival with grim intent ldquoand naturersquos fury is such that nobody can contend withrdquo said Khodadad Yazdegardi vicepresident and cricket secretary Parsee Gymkhana and Mumbai Cricket Association MCA apex council memberYazdegardi further said ldquoWe will now have a waterproof shamiana and a twofeet ramp so that people can walk up to the centre where we will have registrations and some formalities on the ground floor On Monday in fact we were supposed to open and our mayor Kishori Pednekar and South Mumbai MP Arvind Sawantji were to be here for the inauguration but plans have gone cartwheelingrdquo The vicepresident said that the Parsee Gymkhana vaccination centre would be a value addition to South Mumbairsquos gettheshot landscape ldquoWe hear that the city will soon get more vaccines so it is great if we have more vaccination centres too to truly broaden and amp up the Covid19 jab driverdquo finished Yazdegardi