They changed address, moved to higher floors

MUMBAI: The dreaded 26/7, 2005, deluge pushed some of the worst-affected victims from low-lying areas of Santa Cruz, Kalina and Kurla to change their residence.
Not willing to take a chance, they opted for higher floors after seeing their ground-floor homes get destroyed in the floods.
When 40-year-old Dr Sharvari Kher went house-hunting , her first question to watchmen of all the housing societies was whether these had flooded on 26/7.
Kher, who had been a resident of Guzdar Bandh in Santa Cruz (West) for more than 30 years, gave up her old home six months after the deluge, and moved to Juhu Versova Link Road.
“Other than asking the watchman if it flooded, we ensured that the building was surrounded by mangroves. Mangroves are known as sea forests and act as a natural barrier against floods. The court also gave a landmark decision to prevent encroachments and have a chain-link fence across the entire stretch of Juhu Versova Link Road. We are at peace today,” said Kher.
She also ensured that her new flat was on the fifth floor. “Water started gushing in just 30 minutes after the floods. All muck entered our homes. We were camping at our neighbour’s home like refugees and there was shortage of food. Flood waters had entered our tanks too. Our clothes had to be sent for dry cleaning. We tried to salvage whatever we could but decided we couldn’t take it anymore ,” said Kher.
Pamela Gonsalves, a Bandra-Kurla Complex resident, was left with no choice but to change her residence to 25th Road in Bandra (West).
“Now, we are on a higher ground on the fourth floor. Back in 2005, once the flood waters receded, everything was damaged. I lost clothes, refrigerator, household items, furniture, books, money, passport , and even bank documents . I went to a community hall in Bandra (East) for compensation . Several letters were written to the collector’s office but we received no compensation ,” said Gonsalves. Living in constant anticipation of floods, a few still suffer from monsoon anxiety.
Dr Yusuf Matcheswalla, head of psychiatry department , Masina Hospital, said he had patients with a pathological fear of rains. “Kurla was the worst affected.”