A blessing and curse for most of the Mumbaikars, the monsoons in the Maximum City often tend to bring life to a standstill. Located on Salsette Island and surrounded by the Arabian Sea, Mumbai has many of its constituents in low-lying areas. Due to its proximity to the ocean, the city is covered mainly with soil that is alluvial and loamy. Known as the country's financial capital, the Island City is a hub for financial, economic, and industrial activities, leading to massive employment and opportunities. However, the increasing inflow of people from across the nation resulted in the reclamation of land, followed by the clearance of mangroves for building purposes, causing blockages in the drainage systems and overflowing rivers.
The sea levels in the city continue to rise yearly, with the current elevation being 14m. According to McKinsey India Report, by 2025, Mumbai will experience a 25% increase in flash floods. During the period between 2005-15, the Maharastra capital incurred losses of ₹14,000 crores due to the harsh monsoons of the city. Despite the municipality and concerned authorities doing all in their capacity to solve the issue of swamps and deluges, it continues to impact the city every year. Nonetheless, let’s look at the primary reasons behind the two crore+ populated city coming to a standstill during the monsoon season.
- The expansion rate: Over the years, the city has witnessed a frantic pace of construction, constantly expanding laterally and vertically, causing encroachment upon natural resources such as the soil losing its ability to retain water. The debris and waste collected lead to the clogging up of drainages.
- Low-lying areas: A lot of the land reclaimed by the city is low-lying in nature, resulting in rapid flooding within a few minutes of moderate to heavy showers. In a few cases, the average height from sea level is as low as 1m.
- Clogged rivers: For once, they would have assumed the role of stormwater drainages, but issues like pollution, waste, and encroachment have led to a lot of contamination in the rivers, with many of them even having dried up.
- The drainage system: Mumbai’s drainage system requires a complete revamp, plagued with waste for a while. However, this will require a lot of workforce and financial resources. Hence it requires a proper plan and layout.
- The disappearing mangroves: There has been a lot of uproar among environmentalists and residents of the city regarding this issue, the Aarey metro shed being the most recent example. Deforestation of mangrove trees is one of the contributors to frequent flooding.
Nonetheless, in this blog, we will dish out some hacks that could help every Mumbaikar be well-equipped and prepared, especially when protecting the shelter under which they live, be it leakages, dampness, holes, and cracks.
Below are some ideas you could incorporate to make your home rainproof.
1. Shielding the walls of your home
Living in a coastal city like Mumbai requires being prepared for unpredictable monsoons. The onset of musty odour is no hidden fact during the rains. A preventive measure for this would be using a mixture of bleach and water to wipe the walls. Bleach is an excellent counter to the growing fungi that could corrode the walls of your home.
2. Check the pipeline and drainage system
Constant showers can cause clogging of pipes along with other water outlets. Therefore, in case of any leakages, contact a plumber immediately before things worsen. Flooding around your house could serve as a breeding ground for insects, bacteria, and mosquitoes, resulting in the spread of diseases causing health problems.
3. Safeguarding the furniture
In India, most furniture forms consist of materials like wood and leather upholstery, which are highly vulnerable to dampness and moisture. A simple hack for this would be placing the furniture away from the doors and windows. Another preventive measure would be putting camphor balls, neem leaves, and cloves inside cupboards and closets to shield them from dampness.
4. Protect doors and windows
During monsoons, doors of wooden material tend to swell up due to increased moisture content. To avoid this situation, apply oil on the sides of the door and use sandpaper if doors get jammed. For windows, use UPVC (Unplasticised Polyvinyl Chloride), which is moisture resistant and restrains rainwater and wind from coming in contact with the inner layer of the windows. The door's hinges play an essential role in stopping water seepage into the house. Hence ensure they are fixed.
5. The locking system of the house
The changing weather conditions significantly impact the locks, with factors like moisture, dirt, and water disturbing their functioning. Speaking of preventive measures, use spray WD40 as it aids in removing the dust collected in the interior part of the locks. For cleaning locks, don't use anything but a soft cloth.
Tending to the growing population’s needs can become challenging - however, Mumbai does its best to overcome several impediments despite the land constraints and it being low-lying. Nevertheless, the time has come for every Mumbaikar to be vigilant and self-sufficient concerning things under their control.
