Posting from my parents’ home in India
I’m writing this from my mom’s computer on a dial-up line. We are experiencing torrential rains never seen for over a decade before. Every news channel is full of how it has affected Bombay’s normal life and that it has experienced one of the highest in India of over 900mm breaking a previous record set back in 1910 at Chirapunji.
Even here in my hometown, Belgaum, the downpour is like something I saw a long time ago. But to most people here, a non-stop rain like this continuous downpour is something they’re used to for fortnights together. It’s amazing to see people take things like this in their stride and get on with life.
But for metros, that’s another story: a total lack of infrastructure, too many people and very less access bring a city like India’s business capital, Bombay to its knees. I’m watching the news as it unfolds. We are in a way affected by this too, because I have some of my family (including a very old couple) trying to get to Bombay to catch their onward flight to Pittsburgh.
But with most trains and flight to Bombay remain cancelled, highways blocked due to overflowing rivers, land-slides on Pune-Bangalore road and road blocks, it remains to be seen how long this is going to continue and how bad this situation is going to affect us. We’re are keeping our fingers crossed.
Not to be disheartened, my bro-in-law is cooking up mutton on a coal-grill tonight on porch for everyone of us while we sip ThumsUp and watch our canopies overflow and our garden in a flood of rain.