(Pic from 2005 floods)
The floods of 26 July 2005 shook up Mumbai & Mumbaites and it’s after effects were seen last year & this year in the fear that heavy rains immediately evoke.
The death toll in 4 states in India is at this moment, officially, 126.
In Mumbai, the weather office in Colaba in South Mumbai has recorded 279.4 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am, while the amount of rain in the suburbs was 200.6 mm.
The news is full of warnings to fishermen not to venture out, about the building in Grant Road that has collapsed due to the rains & landslides in North-East Chembur.
Even as the bad news seems to be getting worse - and even as the rains continue - I was impressed to see Pooja Bedi on the news, disgusted with the way things are in this city & demanding answers.
“After paying so much tax, why is there no infrastructure in this city?” she demands.
(Pooja Bedi, Indian actress & TV star, with her children at a Habitat for Humanity project)
Pooja Bedi has been actively involved with Habitat for Humanity’s ongoing efforts to provide homes for those whose lives were affected in the 2005 floods. Yes, two years later, they’re still working.
Meanwhile, what are officials doing?
I pray that the monsoons calm down & that people flare up instead - that more people with power to talk; celebrities like Pooja Bedi, open their mouths & demand answers.
Tags: 2005-floods, 26-July-2005, Death-toll, floods, Habitat-for-Humanity, India, Maharashtra, Monsoons, Mumbai, Mumbai-floods, Pooja-Bedi
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June 25th, 2007 at 7:29 am
I too, pray on behalf -
partly because i’m selfless & kind;
and also because i’m flying into the country in two days time, which makes me hope even more that the much despised flying black face of nature won’t cry bucketloads this time.
*gasp*
Thou Shalt Likest Thee Turbulance!
June 25th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Hmm yaa… I have heard from a lot of friends in Mumbai how pathetic the roads have become, already! Given the situation in other states like AP and Karnataka where the monsoon has unleashed its fury, they r more worried abt the coming weeks in Mumbai…
I pray for them all!
June 25th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
So much for being selfless
J/K!! Welcome to TVIMH - and hope your trip to India is memorable for all the right reasons.
@ Naresh: Yes do pray, we need all the prayers we can get. Sigh.
June 25th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
This news is really concerns me a lot. I personally had faced flood like situation just once when I was in 7th grade and that was enough for me to dislike / loath it with all my heart.
Anyways, another news that is bothering me right now is posted at what’s wrong. Have a look and cast your opinion.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Right No not again…
Every indian was concerned last time floods hit mumbai and the news got worldwide coverage.I stay in pune but the news had a huge impact on us.So i pray this time that this monsoon brings lots of happiness to the ever green city.They talk abt making mumbai like shanghai and singapore but that seems to be far fetched dream unless the infrastructure improves.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
“After paying so much tax, why is there no infrastructure in this city?”
Well… only because not many people pay their taxes and the ones that do don’t pay it fully.. Even Amitabh Bachchan doesnt pay his taxes for crying out loud… so i don’t think the taxes would help…
But, I also think the authorities are not doing their work too but they’re not doing anything since August 18, 1947…. so I’ve lost all hope. If someone could help avoid such disasters in the future, or atleast guarantee a speedy recovery, it is the power of the common man. More people like Pooja Bedi should volunteer for such projects and get involved in more social causes. That’s what will make all the difference.
June 26th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
About your post, will mail you.
@ Parimal: Agree with you.
@ Gaurav D: “so I’ve lost all hope”… no, there’s always hope. There must be hope.
June 28th, 2007 at 7:17 am
Yes, we take notice when celebrities speak up. But do the concerned people? The authorities seem quite content just making a show of being concerned.
June 29th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Hi,
this is Pooja Bedi. Thanks for the vote of confidence.
I’d like to point out that with India is in the top 5 economies of the world. Making this possible is MUMBAI, which shells out over 50 percent of this country’s corporate tax and over 40 percent personal income tax.
Given these figures asking for funding for basic infrastructure is not a big deal. It should be priority.
The fight at least from my end goes on………
Cheers!!
June 29th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
holy crap!! dat first pic is from this year’s rains??? and i thought the mosters from 26/07 were left behind!!
will teh authorities never learn from their mistakes??
and having faced 26/07.. i personally knw how bad it was!! gosh!! i’m simply praying that things don’t go anywhere near that again… i don’t think i want to see wot i saw that year!!
crap!!
And last but not the least… kudos to Pooja Bedi for standing up on this issue…Somehow they do make it seem like possible that the powers that be would take some notice!! Cheers!!
July 6th, 2007 at 12:09 am
@ Pooja Bedi: Thx for speaking out - and for continuing to do so. We the common people appreciate it!
@ Sam: The pics from 2005 (noted under the pic).