Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri on Monday took to social media to take a dig at the woeful state of Mumbai’s drainage system. His post came after a video of highly inundated roads in Mumbai’s posh Pedder Road went viral on the Internet.
While sharing his sarcastic take, Agnihotri said that Peddar Road is one of Mumbai’s poshest areas. The video shared by The Kashmir Files director brings to the fore important questions about urban planning (or lack thereof) in India’s financial capital.
“Pedder Road. One of Mumbai’s poshest addresses. Rs 1 lakh per sq ft for the privilege of watching your car float past your living room. World-class pricing. Third-world drainage. Enjoy the waterfront property. No extra charge,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Agnihotri’s sarcastic take augured well with Mumbaikars, for whom rain has spelt doom instead of relief from heat. A user said that the government should make it mandatory for smart cities to solve their drainage and disposal problems.
“It is high time GoI first makes it mandatory for Smart Cities to solve their drainage problems and solid / liquid disposal systems (adopting waste to wealth method) first before splurging their funds on other projects,” the user wrote.
Yet another user said that it rained over 100 mm in an hour and most drainage systems across the world would be flooded with that much rain in an hour.
“I heard 100 mm rain in 1 hour? With that much rain in 1 hour, most drainage systems across the world would be flooded. Indian cities, with low civic sense – all of them, stand 0 chance. The rate of rainfall makes a huge diff. 100 mm in day is pretty heavy, in an hour its a deluge,” the user explained.
A user asked Agnihotri in jest: “Sir ‘Water Files’ movie when??”
Yet another user commented jokingly: “BMC: ‘Ocean is there, no, in Bombay?'”
Meanwhile, several low-lying areas in south Mumbai, such as Peddar Road and Nepean Sea Road, experienced flooding. Public transport, including trains, was functioning with minor delays, while buses and metro services remained operational.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported a high tide of 4.88 metres was expected at 12.13 pm on Tuesday, with another tide of 4.18 metres at 11.56 pm. They noted that the island city recorded an average rainfall of 106 mm in the 24 hours ending at 8 am on Tuesday, with Nariman Point receiving the highest at 252 mm.
Despite these challenges, public transport services managed to operate. However, the heavy downpour earlier in the week led to disruptions in several areas, particularly in south Mumbai. The IMD had declared the onset of the southwest monsoon over Mumbai ahead of its usual schedule.
