Thanks to the lull in the monsoon, last week Hubby Dear and I managed to go for a walk on Marine Drive, our favourite spot in the world.. Everybody it seems had the same idea because the sea front was filled with people just hanging out ; families strolling about, couples dawdling, children running around, people eating roasted bhutta and pinwheel sellers and tea sellers having a field day. I also saw some police men actually patrolling the seafront, walking around in groups and ineffectively swishing about their batons and chatting on their phones. There was also one police man who was actually patrolling the area on his bicycle! Yes, that amazed me no end but sadly I didn’t carry along my mobile phone to take a photo as I was scared the dark clouds overhead may just burst and either my phone would get we or I would get electrocuted in the faint chance of a thunder shower.

However, half way down the promenade, I noticed a slack, yellow nylon rope tied sloppily on the line of trees along the promenade, making a barricade of sorts. Since the rope was hardly for half a kilometre, I wondered what it really was for? All through the walk I tried to imagine what it was meant to do……Finally, on the way back, unable to hold back my curiosity, I asked a policeman what it was for.

“Oh that’s to keep back the crowds when there’s high tide.”

“Oh! So is there going to be High Tide soon?”

“No, not at all!”

“Then why have you tied the rope?”

“If there is High Tide then it will be useful.”

“But what about the rest of the promenade? Or is this particular stretch more treacherous and dangerous?”

The policeman looked quizzically at me, ” Of course not!”

“Then why only so much?” I persisted

“Because that’s all the rope we have.”

I was shocked by this answer! If that is the extent of our preparedness for disaster management, I can imagine half of Bombay being washed away because the Mumbai Police have only 500 m of rope to make an effective barricade against the stormy sea!

How prepared is your city for a disaster?

Ciao,