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One year on, Mumbai's great flood debate rumbles on
Mumbai (AFP) Jul 26, 2006 India's economic capital Mumbai Wednesday marked the first anniversary of flooding which killed more than 400 people as officials promised action to prevent a recurrence of the city's worst-ever natural disaster. Record rainfall of 944 mm (37 inches) in 24 hours on July 26 last year overran neglected drainage and blocked waterways and caused catastrophic flooding that brought India's most vibrant city to a standstill. Several hundred people died from disease blamed on contaminated water in the following weeks, with a final death toll in western India of more than 1,000, amid criticisms of the authorities' slow response to the disaster. A year on, debate continues over the ability of the city to cope with another huge downpour, described as a once-in-a-century event by officials. Schoolchildren formed a human chain and displayed banners outside a railway station Wednesday urging the government to prevent similar disasters. City politicians organised a tribute to the dead on the banks of a river that overflowed last year and swept away the homes of slum-dwellers. Newspapers, which for the past fortnight have been focused on the July 11 Mumbai train blasts that killed 183, marked Wednesday with stories of more than 50 people missing since the flooding and tales of those who survived. Officials for Maharashtra state, where Mumbai is the capital, said long-term plans were in place to improve infrastructure. "If we saw last year's rainfall, we'd handle it a lot, lot better," said the state's chief secretary D.K. Sankaran. Mumbai has been India's economic centre since the British colonial era but its continued expansion to a population of more than 18 million has not been matched by infrastructure improvements. One report into the flooding by NGOs based on public hearings blamed poor planning, rampant illegal development, neglect and unprecedented weather conditions for the flooding. The heavy rainfall left an estimated third of the low-lying financial capital under up to 15 feet (4.5 metres) of water. Buildings collapsed and thousands of homes were swept away. Dead cattle floated through the streets. The state government approved a report in late May which recommended new anti-flooding measures and controls on construction work in the crowded city. In preparations for this year's monsoons, which first hit the city last month, officials de-silted the Mithi river that flows through the city and carries excess water into the Arabian Sea. It flooded last year due to years of uncleared waste thrown into the water by slum dwellers living along the length of the river. Mumbai has more than five million slum dwellers, according to a UN report this year, but Sankaran said encroachments were being pulled down and thousands moved to developments on the city's outskirts. Following last year's floods, premier Manmohan Singh promised the backing of the central government to improve Mumbai's overburdened infrastructure as economic migrants continue to arrive in the city in search of a better life. Last month, he laid the foundation stone for an ambitious 4.2 billion dollar metro rail scheme to tackle traffic woes. Sankaran said the central government was soon expected to provide full funding for a revived multi-million dollar scheme to overhaul the city's drainage system, which has been left pending for more than a decade. "It's our expectation that we will be able to implement this within three years," said Mumbai's chief engineer A.S. Nabar, who claimed drains had been largely cleared. "There is always going to be flooding but measures including widening the Mithi river have been successful." However, conservationists remained doubtful that promised improvements would take place in the city, which has a history of delayed major projects. Pre-monsoon rains this year caused localised flooding and traffic problems. Debi Goenka, of environmental group the Conservation Action Trust, said: "Maybe they have a giant umbrella that I don't know about to cover the city," he said. "There's general chaos and problems on every front." Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters A world of storm and tempest When the Earth Quakes
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New York NY (SPX) Jul 25, 2006Increased collaboration and awareness critical to managing climate variability and saving lives Espoo, Finland -- As the world continues to experience extreme weather events, including recent heat waves in the United States and Europe as well as drought in Africa and severe monsoons in Asia, the need to better manage climate variability is becoming increasingly urgent. |
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