What we saw (and learnt) with disbelief was that the original path of the Yamuna River has been disturbed since god knows how long, thanks to the mindless planning and a host of unrelated decisions over time by previous lawmakers and administrators. These people have (knowingly or otherwise, we cannot prove), altered the flow of this river and in the process interfered with its existing path, causing immense damage in recent times without paying heed to the consequences of rain related scenarios. In fact, this point was accurately driven home when a historian friend of ours shared prints dating back to several centuries before that showed the original floodplains of the Yamuna and placed it beside the construction that’s been done exactly on top of it! Can you imagine how it has affected the water table and all other geographically sensitive parameters that one needs to factor in since this is a mighty river we are talking about, and not just some small pond that’s been filled over.

We also saw how the river flooded areas that have never witnessed it in the past. Posh localities were affected, including a neighbourhood that was within touching distance of the Chief Minister’s home. But more unfortunately, it was the less-privileged, the lower middle class and the poor who were worst affected by the Yamuna’s overflowing. Scenes of floating dead or helpless cattle being swept away; property and garbage moving along made for very disturbing viewing.

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We were stunned as we witnessed it touching the boundaries of the glorious Red Fort, Gandhiji’s Samadhi, as well as several other important landmarks in the National Capital. We don’t recall hearing of or seeing such sights in our very, very long lifetimes. Ignorance of climate change as a real eventuality, mindless development and selfish needs seem to have been the collective and lethal combination that led to this scenario, according to our trusted friends in Delhi.

Which brings us to the second part of our letter—will we see a similar scenario here? We hope not. After visuals of your swollen avatar that some of our well-wishers have been sharing since this year’s monsoons have hit the city, it made us take this step – to reach out to you. We know we’ve messed up. All over again. Clearly, lessons haven’t been learnt at all. On the contrary, many of these well-wishers swear that they’ve witnessed unchecked dumping of debris along various areas where you flow. It must be terrible for you to experience this; we can only imagine. And after all, how much can you tolerate and patiently watch without feeling violated and stifled.

Newspapers like this one in which our letter will be published, have time and again called out perpetrators and villains in this long-playing act; environmentalists have cried themselves hoarse, and yet, administrators and lawmakers seem to look the other side, including holding on to their powerful chairs. Already this year’s rainfall has smashed records in terms of intensity and volume.  

We fear that the nightmare of July 26, 2005 seems to have been forgotten. Yes, you were upset, and despite your several warnings, we as a city let you down then. Now, nearly two decades later, we don’t seem to care about your health. Instead of learning from those mistakes, infrastructural gurus and the wise men in high places appear to seem that the deluge that brought Mumbai to its knees was a one-off episode. Lives were lost at the time and, we continue to witness new buildings springing up with rapidity on what was originally the path of your flow, right from your origins in Borivali’s forests all the way to where you meet the sea at Mahim. This year has been particularly bad for the city’s health and wellbeing with little or no accountability at sight on several factors and we fear your riverbed too will have many sordid tales to tell.

 We’re guilty—because we’ve continued to treat you like a bottomless drain. This letter is an earnest request to give us some time to rectify your plight, and enable you to return to some of your past glory. Grant us some leeway to right the wrongs. Alas, in the absence of eco-friendly lawmakers, we must fight the good fight along with citizen groups and other well-meaning voices, and somehow reverse the colossal damage that we’ve already inflicted on you. Please don’t unleash your fury like the Yamuna has done over all of Delhi.

We promise to do our best as proactive, city-loving folk and put the people in power to task. We will work hard to enable you to breathe again.   

Yours sincerely, 
Lady Flora and Sir PM
 
mid-day’s Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city’s sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets 
@bombayana

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