up. Whereas the municipal corporation has undertaken projects to adapt the city to
threats of climate change, most of these projects are disjointed and lack a comprehensive plan.
Mumbai is no stranger to flooding. Ever year during the monsoon season,
low-lying areas of the city get submerged in knee-deep water. Mumbaikars are
habituated to such ‘regular’ flooding. However, July 26, 2005 is a watershed in the
history of Mumbai. On this fateful day, the metropolis received an unprecedented
rainfall of 944 mm in 24 h. The entire city was flooded, bringing life to a standstill.
The horror of flood caught both the people and the government unaware. Public
transport, including local trains, halted. Airport was shut down. A large number of
Mumbaikars were marooned overnight on the roads. Some remained locked up
inside their cars and died of suffocation. A few were electrocuted, many drowned
and innumerable lives were washed away by the gushing water. Those who
remained at their workplace were considered fortunate. A large number of children
spent the night at higher floors of their schools.
As telephone lines went dead, people were unable to find out whereabouts of
their loved ones. Both water and electricity supply was snapped across the city. This
extreme weather event killed 914 people and lead to a conservative financial loss of
Rs. 4,500,000,000.
4 The night of July 26–27, 2005 is rightly considered the darkest
night of Mumbai. Whereas the government pushed the blame on ‘natural’ disaster,
God’s fury and one-in-a-hundred-years episode, experts claim the coastal city of
Mumbai has every reason to expect more such extreme weather events (see box 1:
More floods, no winter). Climate change is expected to increase the severity and
frequency of flooding (see Table 2: Estimated economic losses due to the impact of
climate change in Mumbai). As per a 2007 study conducted by A.S. Unnikrishnan
and D. Shankar of Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography, mean sea level
rise trends along the Indian coasts are about 1.30 mm/year. Mumbai is witnessing
0.77 mm/year sea level rise based on last 113 years of tide-data gauge.
5
“It is a well documented fact that events such as 2005 floods will not remain
once in a 50 years episode. They will happen more frequently. Thus, the government and the local administration need to undertake urgent steps to adapt the city to
climate change,” said Anand Patwardhan, professor at Shailesh J. Mehta School of
Management of IIT Bombay.
6 Patwardhan has researched on policy responses to
climate change, including adaptation and mitigation. Strengthening city’s infrastructure to better resist flood risks is not an easy task. This is because of several
reasons—scarce land, surrounded by the sea on three sides, several low-lying areas,
dilapidated infrastructure, rapid urbanization, very high population density, huge
informal settlements, public transport bursting at the seams, and poor building
4
http://www.indiawaterportal.org/sites/indiawaterportal.org/files/why_mumbai_must_reclaim_its_
mithi_gautam_kirtane_orf_2011.pdf.
5
http://envfor.nic.in/sites/default/files/Unni%20-%20Coastal%20India_0.pdf.
6
Anand Patwardhan 2013, professor, Shailesh J Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay,
September 28, personal communication.
460
S. Manasi and N. Jamwal
threats of climate change, most of these projects are disjointed and lack a comprehensive plan.
Mumbai is no stranger to flooding. Ever year during the monsoon season,
low-lying areas of the city get submerged in knee-deep water. Mumbaikars are
habituated to such ‘regular’ flooding. However, July 26, 2005 is a watershed in the
history of Mumbai. On this fateful day, the metropolis received an unprecedented
rainfall of 944 mm in 24 h. The entire city was flooded, bringing life to a standstill.
The horror of flood caught both the people and the government unaware. Public
transport, including local trains, halted. Airport was shut down. A large number of
Mumbaikars were marooned overnight on the roads. Some remained locked up
inside their cars and died of suffocation. A few were electrocuted, many drowned
and innumerable lives were washed away by the gushing water. Those who
remained at their workplace were considered fortunate. A large number of children
spent the night at higher floors of their schools.
As telephone lines went dead, people were unable to find out whereabouts of
their loved ones. Both water and electricity supply was snapped across the city. This
extreme weather event killed 914 people and lead to a conservative financial loss of
Rs. 4,500,000,000.
4 The night of July 26–27, 2005 is rightly considered the darkest
night of Mumbai. Whereas the government pushed the blame on ‘natural’ disaster,
God’s fury and one-in-a-hundred-years episode, experts claim the coastal city of
Mumbai has every reason to expect more such extreme weather events (see box 1:
More floods, no winter). Climate change is expected to increase the severity and
frequency of flooding (see Table 2: Estimated economic losses due to the impact of
climate change in Mumbai). As per a 2007 study conducted by A.S. Unnikrishnan
and D. Shankar of Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography, mean sea level
rise trends along the Indian coasts are about 1.30 mm/year. Mumbai is witnessing
0.77 mm/year sea level rise based on last 113 years of tide-data gauge.
5
“It is a well documented fact that events such as 2005 floods will not remain
once in a 50 years episode. They will happen more frequently. Thus, the government and the local administration need to undertake urgent steps to adapt the city to
climate change,” said Anand Patwardhan, professor at Shailesh J. Mehta School of
Management of IIT Bombay.
6 Patwardhan has researched on policy responses to
climate change, including adaptation and mitigation. Strengthening city’s infrastructure to better resist flood risks is not an easy task. This is because of several
reasons—scarce land, surrounded by the sea on three sides, several low-lying areas,
dilapidated infrastructure, rapid urbanization, very high population density, huge
informal settlements, public transport bursting at the seams, and poor building
4
http://www.indiawaterportal.org/sites/indiawaterportal.org/files/why_mumbai_must_reclaim_its_
mithi_gautam_kirtane_orf_2011.pdf.
5
http://envfor.nic.in/sites/default/files/Unni%20-%20Coastal%20India_0.pdf.
6
Anand Patwardhan 2013, professor, Shailesh J Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay,
September 28, personal communication.
460
S. Manasi and N. Jamwal