S eparated by 1,500-odd kilometres but equal victims of freak weather, Delhi and Mumbai were buffeted by dust storms , a summer phenomenon, in a span of three days in May. Conditions were ideal for dust storms with the blazing hot weather in the northern plains and in areas around the coastal metropolis of Mumbai. Accompanying these storms were rain and even thundershowers.
The Mumbai storm did a lot of damage, sending a huge unauthorised hoarding crashing on a fuel pump where many commuters were filling up. The death toll was 17, and more than 75 people were injured. The 250-tonne hoarding was erected on massive metal frames but failed to meet many standards, including the need for a solid foundation.
While the Mumbai incident was not just an act of nature, the recent incident in Delhi airport where a portion of the roof collapsed causing the death of one person after heavy rain in the city has brought about conversations on how many Indian towns and cities are under severe stress each time the monsoon comes calling. June saw Delhi and Tamil Nadu recording the highest rainfall in a calendar month. Sudden rain in the Western Ghats triggered flash floods in the Old Courtallam waterfalls.
A teenager who had come as part of a tourist group was washed away. Floods and landslips in Sikkim led to disruptions in road connectivity. Indian Army engineers from Trishakti Corps constructed a 150-foot suspension bridge in northern Sikkim to reconnect the border villages that got marooned.
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