And for a Friday in Aamchi Mumbai with record monsoon rains battering the city, some thoughts….. some musings…..
The capacity of this Metropolis called Mumbai and it’s citizens, the Mumbaikars, is simply astounding. Any other city, if it had received the kind of continuing heavy rains, would have been battered, shattered and shut down. To get the perspective of the huge deluge, the massive devasting historic “Cloudburst” of 26 July, 2005, had 944 mm of rain in a single day and 1454 for the whole month of July 2005. This year, last five days has more than 1000 mm and already this month more than 1513 mm of rainfall. 3 more days to go and believe me, life still goes on. Trains are running, buses are plying, traffic cops controlling and ensuring vehicles keep moving and the average Mumbaikar chugs on with his grueling day. No other city can you find this resilience and the Mumbaikar’s never-say-die attitude. Hats off. I love it.
The most awaited Coastal Road project is fast progressing. India’s largest 12.18 metres diameter tunnels, 20 meters below the sea level, 70 meters below Malabar Hill connecting Marine Drive to Priyadarshani park on the other side of Napean Sea Road is already completed. The massive TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) named Mavala, has most successfully completed this gigantic task and now emerged out on the surface, lying next to Priyadarshani park, probably readying for her next mission. Best expectations, the first phase will be open to Public by November this year.
Nothing more pleasing than the news of Nandan Nilekani making the highest ever single donation of 400 crores to his Alma mater, IIT Mumbai. May we all hope this will encourage all other successful and millionaire Indians from all over the World to support and donate to their own schools and colleges back in their home towns and villages in India, the caring way, the involved way, the SEEGOS way.