Rains in Mumbai this year

It has been an eye-opener. This year, it poured torrentially in Mumbai. It took just a month for half of the entire season's average rainfall to fall upon the city. By now, we have had more rainfall than what we have had in the last over 35 years! By the end of August, all the seven lakes that supply water to this metropolis were full to the brim, or at least over the levels reached in the past several years. The water cuts imposed on the city last year were removed by the civic committees that look at the problem officially. Everyone seemed to be happy at this decision.

However, there is a flip side to this situation too. The heavy rains caused several accidents: tree branches that fell on unsuspecting citizens and either killing or maiming them, walls that fell on to sleeping dwellers and killing them there and then, landslides at construction sites, flooding, and above all, a very high incidence of malaria, typhoid, jaundice and other tropical diseases that filled up all the  beds in the various public as well as private hospitals. 

As I write this, I am filled with sadness at the various tragic occurrences, but, also, I am happy, for the busy season brought me a lot of professional satisfaction, and money too. I am happier, even, for the fact that no one in my own family - nuclear, joint, or extended, had any of the problems I listed above. For this, I can only thank the merciful and bountiful Allah, who continues to bless us.

It would be interesting to learn from you, dear reader, about your experiences with extremes of climate - whether rains, or heat, or cold. I know from Anna that she had to face extremes of cold where she lives. A comment by you would be welcome if you are reading this, my friend.

Monsoon meanderings

It is with glee that I observe huge fat raindrops outside my window. Rains played truant last year, but this year, they are back with a bang! In the first one and a quarter months of the rainy season (monsoon), it has already rained half of the season's annual rainfall in Mumbai. And, during the last week, the rains have continued to lash Mumbai, albeit not with the same fury as in previous years. Today, as I write this, we experienced about 15-20 minutes of really heavy rains, and they slowed down thereafter, but not before driving pedestrians off the roads and creating deep puddles at many places.


One of the main problems I face is that it always seems to rain as soon as I leave home and go on my 2-wheeler towards my clinic. It is uncanny, but the coincidence seems to occur a bit too often for my comfort. It - the rain, I mean - makes it impossible for me to remove my cell phone when it rings, and my patients are left wondering why I won't pick up the phone. How can I?  Someone suggested that I should use a bluetooth device, but even they get spoilt in the rains, and last year, I lost one such device while driving in the rains. So, no devices for me, thank you.


The way the rains fall in Mumbai, it causes a lot of sickness, and the rainy season is one of the best for medical practice. Almost all the hospitals are full, and I have had a tough time locating beds for my patients who need hospitalisation. A few days back, I called up four of the six hospitals that I visit, and got a negative answer from all of them, so I had to admit the patient in some smaller nursing homes. A heavy practice means poor sleep, mental tension, and a lot of other unrelated trouble, like not finding time to visit my parents, not remembering to get the urgent rations that the house needs, late arrival at home for the night, and so on. At the same time, it also means a lot more money flowing into the house, and saving for a non-rainy day when the practice can literally plummet (Talk about mixed metaphors, LOL :-))

Living in Mumbai in the rains

While thinking about what to write in this blog today, it suddenly struck me that I have so many thoughts about the rains that have hit Mumbai city since the past seven days, so why not write about that?

As any reader knows, Mumbai is located on the western side of India and is an island city connected to the mainland just below the Gujarat projection on the map of India. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra, and is called the urbs prima Indis, or "India's first city". The western coast of India comprises coastal areas of Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra, as also Goa. The Konkan belt of Maharashtra is the most famous of all after Goa; it is famed for several things, but mostly for Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso mangoes. The Sahyadri mountains lie to the east of the Konkan belt and shield the parts of India to their east away from the buffetting rains that come to the Konkan belt, thanks to the South-westerly monsoon winds. Mumbai lies in the Arabian sea, and the winds that hit it from the S-W region bring with them the famoues Mumbai rains.

These rains have been immortalised in movies and literature. Hindi movies, made chiefly in Mumbai's famous "Bollywood" have always had a love-love relationship with rains, because, after all, water makes women more sensuous and desirable. Zeenat Aman, Smita Patil, Sridevi, and several other heroines of the silver screen have all danced in the rains while belting out melodious songs. Who can forget Sridevi's dance "Kaate nahin katte din ye raat" from Mr. India, or "Hai hai yeh majboori" of Zeenat for Manoj Kumar's Roti Kapada aur Makaan" ... both excellent songs picturised in the rains.

My personal take on rains: they are great when one is indoors, and is looking out at them; they are horrible when one is at their mercy - outdoors without proper rain-protection. This year, they hit without a clue to their arrival on the 5th of June. Since then, rains are pouring relentlessly ... 7 days later. I usually travel on a two-wheeler, and rains make it necessary to wear a rain-suit while riding a scooter. This makes the whole thing very inconvenient and problematic.

One thing that I am already enjoying thanks to the rain? It has to be "fried foods" which are considered a bit safer to eat in this climate and season as compared to other seasons.