Mumbai: Kandivali residents brace for monsoon flooding as Poinsur river chokes

Kandivli West residents most of them from Poinsur Gaothan located adjacent to and behind the Poinsur Poisar river are bracing for their annual monsoon nightmare The 1115kmlong river originates in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park SGNP and flows into Marve CreekRyan Rebello and Ramsey RebelloToday the Poinsur River is choked with rubbish Its flow is blocked at several points with garbage bags and plastic carpeting blocking the water A nauseating stench envelops the area During the monsoon the Gaothan floods with water entering homes as the river already reduced to a clogged channel rise with no proper outletNo flow and nowhere to go for Poinsur on the east side PicsSATEJ SHINDESeveral residents said ldquoThe water rises very fast within 30 minutes we are submergedrdquo While some water is visible on the western side the eastern side of the river is almost entirely debris Residents who have lived here for decades recalled a very different pastSome waste and a little water on the western sideldquoWe fished in this river We swam in it Women washed clothes and dried vessels along the banks Today we do not even put our toes in it The water was once so clear you could see pebbles beneath Now we cannot even see the water and nobody dares step into itrdquoSome work on as the river is beneathFloating awayRamsey and Ryan Rebello said ldquoWe have lived here for six decades Our father grandfather and greatgrandfather lived here before us From a clear water source where we swam the Poinsur River has become a stagnant stinking mess Our 90yearold paralysed father once had to be carried upstairs when the Gaothan flooded Tables chairs and cupboards have floated away during floods No local representative helps This historic river where even cattle were once washed is now a festering dump This degeneration is beyond tragicrdquoCharming homes in the villageFish talesSome flow but mostly chokedResident Anwar Khan recalled ldquoThe riverbed was once visible mdash thatrsquos how clean the water was People used to fish here Put a fishing rod here today and yoursquoll catch a garbage bagrdquoA general dismal scenario in the areaHealth woesPrabhakar Mhatre 82 pointed above his head inside his home and said ldquoIn one year the floodwater rose to at least six feet Our furniture was floating We had no time to save belongings only ourselvesrdquoPrabhakar Mhatre and Sushma MhatreHis daughterinlaw Sushma Mhatre added ldquoWe have tiled the walls because of recurring flooding Our furniture is now metal We have suffered from several infectious diseases including malaria Bikes parked outside get destroyed just like lives do every monsoonrdquoHigh rsquonrsquo dryAnwar KhanMany homes have added an extra storey where families take refuge when floodwaters enter ldquoCivic authorities are quick to notice these constructions but do not care about our sufferingrdquo aresident saidBMC saysWe learnt swimming here shows Ramsey RebelloArti Golekar Assistant Municipal Commissioner AMC said ldquoLike most premonsoon works even this Poinsur river is being cleaned and desilting work is on The work should wrap up by May 31rdquoRyan Rebello indicates how high the water risesShakhapramukh speaksHarshada ArulrajDeputy shakhapramukh and a Gaothan resident said ldquoPeople usually prepare for the monsoon by buying rainwear Here preparation means bracing for floods inside our homes moving important documents losing furniture and dealing with exhausting cleanups The water has nowhere to go We have no assurance that this year will be any differentrdquoJyoti MhatrePoinsur Kandivli West ladiesrsquo shakhapramukh who lives in the Gaothan said ldquoLast year there was nearly five feet of water inside my home due to flooding Our furniture was destroyed ldquoWe need choke points cleared deep desilting and proper cleaning not superficial mud removal We are bracing for a similar horror this seasonrdquoNostalgia rulesPravin Bansode and his mother Meera Bansode who live very close to the river said ldquoWe are preparing for the toughest time of the year We remember when families would sit by the riverside doing daily chores and watching life go by Today we must watch out for flying garbage Forget sitting the stench does not even allow us to stand hererdquo