26th July 2005 (FLOOD)

      I Survived but my Friend Died

               

     Somaiya College Dairies 2005 

    

Horrifying day in the history of Mumbai, 2005. It took 1094 lives. A large number of people were stranded on the roads, lost their homes while many walked long distances back home from work that evening. The floods were caused by the eighth heaviest-ever recorded 24-hour rainfall figure of 944 mm (37.17 inches) which lashed the metropolis on 26 July 2005, and intermittently continued for the next day.

The highest rainfall occurred in Chirapunji. This was the only thing i learned in my school days about rains. Who knows the darkest night of 26th July will takes a ride of me and my Mumbai. I found so many people on that day, who struggled their lives to reach at some destination where they could find some space or shelter to stay because they were so far away from their home. 

26th July, 2005 I reached College by 9.30 am as usual, where i was pursuing 2nd year BMS degree (Bachelor of Management Studies) from K J Somaiya College of Arts & Commerce, Vidyavihar. After finishing 2 big lectures of 75 minutes each (approx), we had a lunch break at 2.30 pm, One of my friend shouted and called me to have a look through the window (2nd floor) and we all were astonished by witnessing the heavy rain.

Everyone was worried and confused about situation, where could we go, and very few people had a mobile phone in that time & we got the news about train, which got stuck between Kanjurmarg Station, one of my classmate was travelling in that train. The heavy rain flowed all over the railway tracks and the water level reached nearer to the platform. So we all friends decided to hire an Auto Rickshaw till Ghatkoper Station but all the Rickshaw wallas denied, The distance between Vidyavihar and Ghatkoper station is just 2 minutes by train, but it took us a long hour to reach at station, we were about 10-12 friends, walking on the road, enjoying rain, making fun of people on the road, laughing all the time and some how we reached.

Reference Kalyan Station

That View made us silent for a 2 minutes among my all friends, our eyes were wide open and also there were more than 100 lenses witnessing the tragedy of Ghatkoper. Now the Water level reached above the Platform, we couldn't even found any train on platform, it was looking like a hell Tea colour water kingdom. Now the biggest tragedy was to get out of the platform. There was a way to the road from platform no 1, where one side of the wall was broke by the force of water and it was ultimately 10-15 inches of water draining towards the platform, we saw a fatty man who was helping people to get out of the platform by picking their hands and pushing towards the road. All my friends moved out and i got my step into that draining water and i fell down, the water forcefully took me towards the platform but that giant man put his step forward and picked my hand and pushed me out of the platform, some how i managed and i was so thankful for his help.

Now the BMS students started their Strategic Planning, This was only word i remembered during my whole course. We sat in the Local Hotel nearest to the ghatkoper station, we had Tea, some had sutta (cigerate). Now the time has come, where all my friends started departing, Shailesh Pasad took Pankaj Thatar & Rupesh Gaikwad to his uncle's home, Tauseef Ansari left with Asif Shaikh, the Traffic were so jammed that no vehicle was moving & my dear friend Ganesh Kale took a bus to his aunties place in Kurla without knowing the address. I think that moment for us was more tragic than the Flood. 

                               

So Myself, Abhijit Chavan, Sunny Hindlekar & Vivek Singh, the fastest 4 started a slow walk journey (en route) Ghatkoper to Bhandup at Sunny's place. Believe me it was so horrifying, some of the political parties people came out for help, and they literally started beating people who holds up an umbrella, because the water force was so fast and heavy, that it took our foot to different directions and with holding an umbrella up could be fatal which could results in flow away with the flood, the call taken by the political people were right. 

The Brown water till day light reached from knees to stomach. I had a bag which contained some important documents of my friend and 3 refund cheque of Rupees 35,000/- I wore a Raincoat (Jacket) so that all the cheque and documents were to be saved. We all 4 grabbed each others hand and moved slowly to the destination. Some of my friend shoes flow away, so they walked barefoot. I found some horrible thing came towards my knees, so i kicked back and that thing fell down near a guy, who was travelling in my opposite direction, he hold that thing and said, Look guys i found a Snake.

Slowly slowly Brown Water turned Black, Because there was no Light in the evening. we all were frightened, we couldn't found any way, we were just walking towards the straight with the people's around us. People literally thrown their vehicles and left, some left their Cars too. We found some local people picking up the bikes from road by shouting 'hey look i found a new pulsar, dude you can take that Hero Honda too some replied.

The Heavy Rain was looking Black, the Water was looking Black and thunder lightening sound made us sick. The Water level reached till Stomach & made our life miserable and we were continuously walking. In some time we heard some people shouting about the Highway got broke by the force of water and it turned into a Gutter and some people flowed away with the flood. & they informed all of us to keep moving slowly. I thought that the time has came now either we will live or die. But some how we managed to walked through the right way with the instructions of people who were walking ahead of us. 

Head lights of Trucks and cars made us things visible for some time. The Rain was so powerful and heavy which made us weak, because we cannot even wiped out our face, as the rain were directly coming to our eyes and it was even difficult to breathe for a time. The Water was Stuck between the highways, So the trucks who were moving with a distance from a 5 feet was directly coming nearer our feet with a flow of flood.

From 3.30 pm till 9.00 pm, we reached at some place where the water level reached towards the knees and we saw a restaurant Bar was open, But the Water level was Between the Chairs and tables, me and my friends went into that bar, i am nonalcoholic so i had ordered a tea and some had a bear. By that time i had opened up my bag and viewed the cheques and documents, which was fully safe from water and we started moving further.

We reached Bhandup Village by 11.00 pm Approx. I went to Sunny's place and Abhijit and Vivek moved to their uncle's place. 

I knew my mother was so worried about me, so i made a BSNL Landline call to my home but the phone was dead, so i made a  call on Tata Indicom, starting digit with number 5, without the sub code and suddenly the bell rang, my aunt picked up the call, I've spoke up in a hurry that 'i am at sunny's place tell mom don't worry about me, i am fine here'  and the phone line got disconnected. 

My Aunt (Kavita Shinde) who resided in Ambernath New Type 3, she came out in a heavy rain at 11.30 pm and she walked 1 km with her daughter Snehal to inform my mother about me and she saw my mother sat near the window and she was crying for me. She never had a food over the day, and she was keep on praying about my safety and my aunt gave her relief with the news and then she had a dinner.

By that time, I went at Sunny's place (nearer to Nahur Station now), his great Father Late. Madhav Hindlekar invited me and treated me like his own son, then we had a dinner, and I've got a call from my maternal uncle that, don't try to come Kalyan, the big railway tunnel filled with the flood, please be there wherever you are.  After having dinner we slept and Sunny residence were at the ground floor, so the water came out from the toilet and reached towards the hall, the whole area was filled with water above 4 inches, so we all were awake on that whole night. i tried to sleep on a bed for a time.

I stayed there for more than 3 days because the train was not working and there were no transport. The Phone network got started my mother made a call to sunny's father about my health, and he replied that 'Kunal is like my Son sunny, you don't worry, i am taking care of him, let the rail transport starts, i will come and drop him' and my mother was amazed with his familiar behavior, she was so thankful.

So on the 5th Day the Train started running from Dadar to Kalyan. So me, Abhijit and vivek reached Home Safely on the 5th day. Many of the Youth walked towards the rail lane yard to reach home and my dear friend Ganesh who couldn't found his aunt home at kurla, he decided to take a walk till home (pad yatra) from Kurla to Kalyan which is approx 35 km (22.3 miles) Distance and he also reached home safely.

                                       

All my College friends reached home safely except my School Friend who caused with Disease called Leptospirosis from this flood, his body got affected with bacterial infection, which unfortunately couldn't saved his life. I felt so bad for him and i wish his parents has now moved on with the things.

Withing 10 days of the flood, the region MUMBAI started their Journey again, The people started travelling from the Trai which is called the The Life Line of Mumbai.

And we pray the day we faced before 13 years should not come again ever. It was more tragic than a Horror Film.

Please bare my English Grammar, because i wrote this blog in a very short span of time without even Scrutinized. 

Thank you for Reading the Blog

Regards

Kunal Shiinde.