Every monsoon disruption teaches citizens and the authorities many lessons. Prime amongst some is the value of communication in times of a crisis. On Monday, mismanagement triggered chaos at the Swargate bus stand in Pune, leaving passengers stranded and frustrated.

An unexpected downpour, which began early in the morning, caused waterlogging in key areas of the bus terminal, compounding operational challenges already strained by a lack of coordination among officials. The disruption led to the merging of buses scheduled at different times, resulting in overcrowding and confusion among commuters, delays and cancellations. While delays may be inevitable because of the unexpected amount of rain, the reported absence of clear announcements or help desks made matters worse.