Mumbai's waterfront residents panic after high tide warnings; ask BMC if they should leave their homes

With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issuing predictions of super high tide days in the approaching monsoons, it is the people living on the waterfront who are already getting sleepless nights.

Residents are in a panic, wondering whether this means that they will have to shift for a few days and move their valuables, in case a repeat of the 26/7 flooding happens. The BMC has already planned to keep the schools closed on July 24, since the tide level is expected to be a record high in the last 100 years on this day.u00a0

"Where will we go?" says Versova resident Payal Shah, "I'm thinking of moving my family to my sister's place in Dombvli during those days in July when the tide is the highest. People who say that nothing will happen are being foolish. What if the building falls? Our lives, our valuables will go with it! I'm moving my jewellery and papers to the bank for safe-keeping."u00a0

Pooja Kapil, a housewife from Sun and Sea Building located bang on the Versova beach, says that the impending disaster is a hot topic of discussion amongst the society's ladies and neighbours. "Every evening, we meet and discuss how the situation can be best tackled. While some of my friends talk about storing their valuables in bank vaults, others are discussing hoarding provisions," she says.

Rain + high tide = Trouble

If the forecast by weather pundits is to be believed, the apex of waves at high tide is expected to be over four meters and its combination with a heavy downpour is a perfect recipe for the city flooding.

Kapil's neighbour Rizwan Gharial feels that shifting valuables to bank vaults isn't of much help; after all, most of the residents' banks are also located close to the sea. Vijay Pandit, another society resident, says that the scars of 26/7 floods are creating a fear psychosis in the minds of the people. "The majority of car owners in our building have experienced the ordeal of paying hefty sums for repairing their submerged vehicles. The very mention of floods is enough to trigger a panic attack. While some are planning to move to alternate locations, others plan to stay back and face the situation," says Pandit.

Residents living along the seaside at Juhu, Versova, Worli, Cuffe Parade and Mahim say that their buildings already bear the brunt of monsoons every year. As the rains lash down, they often feel their buildings shake slightly, especially on those days that the sea winds are strong. "We can barely walk towards our building. We feel as if we're pushing against the wind," says one Juhu resident. "Even on normal monsoons, the sea is so rough that the waves come right into our compound. What if those days the waves hit our building?"