​Falling behind: On Mumbai and the monsoon

The article discusses the severe urban flooding in Mumbai due to intense southwest monsoon rains, exacerbated by factors like the city's geography (reclaimed land, low-lying areas), haphazard urbanisation, and the coincidence of heavy rainfall with high tides. It highlights the increasing erraticity of monsoon patterns due to climate change, which undermines existing infrastructure assumptions. Despite projects like BRIMSTOWAD and pre-monsoon desilting efforts, governance lapses and incomplete works contribute to the city's vulnerability. The article also points out the fragmented accountability across multiple agencies and the cascading failures in infrastructure, emphasizing the need for proactive adaptation strategies rather than merely reacting to disasters.