Damned If It Rains. Doomed If It Doesn’t.

July 30, 2009
By

So Delhi nearly drowned earlier this week. The reason - a few hours of relatively heavy rainfall.

Everybody has been going crazy due to the incredible heat. Farmers have been going crazy in the absence of rain. People are dying. Farms wear a barren look. Everybody is yearning for some respite.

When the respite finally arrives, what do we have?

Massive (in the true sense of the word) traffic jams all over the city. Flooded drains. Submerged underpasses. Missing electricity.

The Moolchand Underpass went Underwater

Water water everywhere
Not a chullu bhar to drown

I personally endured a 5 hour commute when it usually takes just one. My colleagues didn’t fare any better. From newspaper reports, nobody reached home on time that night.

The ordeal was to continue into the next day though. Another long commute to work. Some people reached their offices. Some gave up midway and went back home.

And they all stood patiently…waiting to get to work

 

Even though Delhiites aren’t quite known to be patient!

This from the biggest city of one of the self-proclaimed superpowers of the world. A nation aspiring to greatness. A PM who wouldn’t take anything less than a permanent seat in the UN security council.

The MCD officials were probably too busy inventing people on the payroll to worry about basic stuff such as cleaning up flood drains, or whatever else it takes to keep a modern city from getting drowned after a little downpour.

As usual, the game of passing-the-buck has begun, and nobody is going to be held accountable for the sad state of affairs in the capital of India. Life will go on.

Jai Ho, my dear land of ironies.

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14 Responses to “ Damned If It Rains. Doomed If It Doesn’t. ”

  1. amit on July 30, 2009 at 2:33 pm

    I was stuck for 7 hours once. From 5 in the evening till 12 at night.
    If that is any consolation…

  2. kavi on July 30, 2009 at 10:54 pm

    I guess its catching attention because its happens ‘once in a while’ ! Its been happening every year here in Mumbai !

    This year, i must say, the water did drain off quicker ! hmm !

    :)

  3. amlistening on July 31, 2009 at 6:10 am

    Let Diwali season come in and even with no rains “we the people” working in NCR will experience it again. Last week my family members had to turn back from mid way when they could not see any chance of getting to my house through south ex even without rain…..guess its more than just rain and storm drains.
    What I really like about such situations is seeing someone walk up and help clearing traffic.
    The pun on water water everywhere…. was nice!

  4. Reema on July 31, 2009 at 10:15 am

    We have two under-bridges which get drowned every year in rain. Newly constructed roads are having potholes already. Its saddening to see the terrible misuse of taxpayer’s money.

  5. Vinod Sharma on July 31, 2009 at 10:18 am

    Some officials must be overjoyed. This time they they will not get just the few crores that they have been getting every year to get the drainage system going. Thanks to the upcoming CW games, they will get many more this year, and next year too, at the very least….and the same scenes will continue to be repeated!

  6. ms on August 3, 2009 at 2:21 am

    i know what you mean. the concept of “storm drains” doesn’t exist for the indian. every depression, duct, or space along the sides of the road - is a garbage bin. either that, or a communal urinal. see the toll gates in the morning? one big field of strewn paper and domestic refuse. the natives generate so much garbage everyday, how do they cope when they migrate to the West? walking down flinders st (melbourne) was a pleasure a few years ago. on a recent visit, i had to carefully step over spit, food scraps, saw one chap nonchalantly scrunch up his McD food wrapper and toss it over his shoulder. the moment a large group of noisy “students” (i call them the Thirty Year Old Freshers) clambered up on a tram, they left behind a sea of refuse. we old timers have seen cities grow, from small picturesque towns, to the chaotic garbage laden dying dinosaurs of today. it hurts and disappoints.

  7. aamir attaa on August 3, 2009 at 2:21 pm

    I planned to visit Delhi so many times, but it hasn’t happened so far. But tell you what, Lahore is no different than Delhi, in many cases

  8. R.D.B on August 4, 2009 at 6:53 pm

    jus hang on AD!! n soon u’ll get a hang of the (ir)regularities as part of lyf in the indian capital /NCR…
    well but comparatively speaking.. Mumbai drowns many times each monsoon yr. after yr.. so in a way delhi is much better if that’s any consolation!!!

  9. Kiran on August 6, 2009 at 3:19 pm

    Oh no! When it finally pours, the poorly drainage structure’s are not able to withstand. It’s a serious issue in many countries where public amenities are a least of priorities. I can understand the frustration. Hang in there buddy :)

  10. Wheel Industry on August 7, 2009 at 4:59 pm

    It is not a wonder that one can caught between such situation…

  11. michael on August 10, 2009 at 11:40 pm

    hmm…

  12. 25BAR on August 14, 2009 at 8:18 am

    Non progressive governments I tell you!

  13. alvia on January 16, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    man really agreed poor people who suffered

  14. dinesh on May 12, 2010 at 5:47 am

    nice post,keep it up

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All content on this site is the personal opinion of the writer. It is in no way related to their employer or their official policies. Most of what is written here is in a satirical tone. If it hurts your sensibilities, I sincerely apologize.
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