Reflecting on Mumbai Record Rainfall: Two Decades Since July 26, 2005

Irregularity of rain in Mumbai is nothing new. Sometimes it's pouring, sometimes drizzling, and sometimes accompanied by stormy winds, there are many bitter-sweet memories of Mumbai's rain. However, one day this rain took away the peace of Mumbaikars. The record-breaking rain on July 26, 2005, turned Mumbai into a flood. Today marks 20 years since that day. Yet, when July 26 is remembered, it still sends shivers down the spine.

Due to the rain on July 26, 2005, Mumbai came to a halt. At that time, Mumbaikars experienced the most life-threatening rain in history. More than a thousand Mumbaikars lost their lives in this rain. Around 15,000 homes were destroyed. Citizens were literally stranded on the streets. The scenes of citizens walking in shoulder-deep water in the middle of the road are still disturbing today. The rain that fell throughout the day set a record. A total of 944 mm of rain fell in a single day. It was the largest rainfall in Mumbai's history in the last 100 years.

On that day, the rain poured down as if the clouds had burst. The city that never stops was indeed stunned on July 26, 2005. Citizens were stranded in Mumbai's local trains, buses, and everywhere. According to one statistic, the damage caused by this rain in Mumbai amounted to nearly five and a half billion rupees. After this rain, the state government appointed a committee under the chairmanship of environmentalist Dr. Madhav Chitale to study it and to take measures to prevent any such incident in the future. This committee submitted its report in 2006.