Agonised Days for Vasai-Virar

Sitting in my office today I got messages from friends stating their bosses are not ready to believe in the story of Vasai – Virar section being flooded, ensuring the residents are unable to commute to their work. It’s painful when people, without knowing, what actually the residents went through and are going through with dirty water everywhere, simply blame them for being untruthful. It became essential to pen down their agony and plight when people were forced to lead the days as stone age people used to.

The rains were unusually heavy since Saturday when we went to Malshej (my previous blog). Ulhasnagar was flooded and traffic was a mess. When we came back on Sunday, the rains hadn’t ceased. My parents residing in Vasai were tensed about our safety as water in their society had started to percolate and news channels were abuzz with the flooding. The area where I reside is quite high and I was blissfully unaware of the hues of low lying areas. I enjoyed the rains and relished Samosas and hot tea whereas the game of clouds had just begun for people staying in the Vasai-Virar stretch.

Monday morning it was raining heavily and had been so throughout the night. I managed to get to my office in car though traffic was heavy on that day. No sooner did I reach office that I got a call from Dad asking whether we were at office or at home. I proudly boasted, very much in office. He was concerned as the trains weren’t working due to water logging. Vasai was already a mess. He told me there’s at least 2.5ft water in the society, people on ground floor had started to panic due to increasing water levels and no electricity. Rains were steady, not an ounce chance of reducing as per clouds.

For people of Vasai – Virar, electricity is not a regular thing and invertors are most commonly found in all the apartments and buildings. The invertors charge on electricity but with no electricity, the invertors would be useless. People started using the invertors sparingly as they were sure of no power for a long time. Since the rains were persistent we left office on time. On my way back when I called my parents they told that the underground tank has been contaminated with dirty water & no idea when will the drinking water be available, no electricity & no idea when it will resume and the level of water had increased in the building to 3.5 ft. Vehicles standing down were drowned.

They didn’t talk much as the phone batteries would drain out leaving no means of communication. The downpour was still consistent and heavy. They were hopeful Tuesday would be better. Tuesday turned out to be worse. Neither the water level was decreasing nor were the rains. In whtsapp group I came to know of the Pelhar Dam waters being opened due to the fear of it bursting. The havoc in that condition would be much worse. That was the primary reason of the water logging in entire Vasai Virar stretch. On Tuesday the mobile network also gave up. I wasn’t able to connect with my parents. I left them a WhatsApp asking about their well being. After 2 hours I got a reply that they were fine and mobile batteries were hardly left. The landlines also would not connect.

I am sure many people must’ve thought Tuesday power will be back and drained the mobile batteries on Monday itself. Bosses would have thought that employees are absconding. To top it all basic necessities were sold at a premium rate. Water bottle of Rs. 20 was put up for Rs. 50 and milk was sold for Rs. 80-100. People came up on their terraces to see other people in the same mess. Everybody was sick of the sight of water and frustrated to the core, completely cut off from the rest of the world. The first floor washrooms had started emitting foul stench as the drainage system had gone for a toss.

At times the vehicles of police would pass but there wasn’t much they could do to ease the residents pain. Wednesday however some water reduced and trains resumed though with delay late in the day. I called my parents to come and stay with me (last bit of battery left). They waded their way through waist deep water till station. They could see small fishes wondering in the dirty water. Because I was there my parents could go to a safer place. But there are thousands of others still stuck. On Thursday water had started receding in the locations that were situated on some heights.

We may think that their plight is coming to an end but no, it’s far from over yet. Once the water drains, the underground tanks would have to be emptied and cleansed to be able to get edible water. The muddy paths will have to be sprayed with disinfectant to avoid any sickness from spreading. People who have travelled through those dirty waters will have to get injected for leptospirosis.

Is leaving the well built place an only option left from the palghar district residents? Vasai is a beautiful place with all the amenities and people consider residing there due to jovial coresidents, affordable living and affordable housing in one of the costliest real estates. Though life is now slowly resuming (electricity still not restored at many places), at this time we need to be the strength of the residents to overcome the mess they faced in the last 3-4 days.

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