While administration and papers seem to be patting themselves on the back on ‘Mumbai limping back’ they haven’t said that it is at the pace and the steadiness of a mugged 90 year old who has been blind folded and has to find her way back home.

There is very little traffic on the roads. Most people I know are leaving their vehicles behind. That is assuming that the vehicles survived Tuesday’s downpour. Garbage is uncollected in most places. Trains, especially those on the Central Railway are still delayed – mom just came back from Andheri station after two trains to VT had been cancelled. And bus services are severely restricted. Most rickshaws seem on some form of life support system or the other. And many cars are non functional. Car pooling might be a good idea. just make sure that two people who can drive are in a vehicle.

While I can understand that the priority is to clear out the bodies – garbage is going to cause a health hazard sooner rather than later. It is already assualting the senses – it is only a matter of time before it starts assaulting our wellbeing.

A doggy resting on a pile of uncleared, sodden, garbage. It smells worse than it looks

One option, as citizens, is to log on to the excellent Praja site and send a complaint. I am sure that there is a helpline somewhere. But, it is most likely to be jammed. Residents in co-operative housing societies may consider pooling money to clear the garbage. It probably is going to be cheaper than extensive medical treatment.

If this sounds pessimistic, it is not. The human spirit can endure and bounce back. Systems and infrastructure take a wee bit longer.