Mumbai is in Danger

Whether you call it Bombay or Mumbai, recent reports suggest that by 2018 most of the city will be under water on a daily basis as and when there is a high tide.

Earlier this scenario had been predicted for the year 2090 but recent measurements of increase in sea level from global warming effect suggest that the flooding will happen much sooner than expected.

Wanton destruction of mangroves, reclamation of land and thoughtless development will ensure that most of the prime property will be under water in the next 10 years or so.

High tide measurements suggest that water levels during high tides have risen rapidly by 30 cm in just 3 years. If this trend continues Mumbai (Bombay) will be under water every day beginning as early as 2012. Strom water drains that are designed to take water away from the city are already flowing in the reverse direction. And if it rains, water will continue to remain on land flooding it because storm water drains will need to be closed to prevent sea water entering the island city.

But the powers that be will continue to sleep over this problem till it becomes impossible to manage. Vinod Khanna's of the world will continue to buy property at 1,28,000 per square feet oblivious of the fact that the building they are buying property in is soon going to be marooned.

Politicians will continue to flout all environmental protection laws to fill their own pockets.

And then one day, all will be lost under water.

But we will continue to live till that day in collective amnesia of the impeding problem. We will find comfort in the fact that there are almost 20 million of us who are facing the same problem and someone will definitely do something before the issue becomes unmanageable.

Well good luck to all of us.