Are authorities taking spirit of Mumbai for granted? Debate rages as Maximum City sinks

As Mumbai got flooded on Tuesday due to massive rainfall, the people of the city stood united while government failed to do its duty.

Mumbai, August 30: What is it that Mumbaikars (the residents of India's commercial capital, Mumbai, and erstwhile Bombay) love most about their city? "It's the spirit of Mumbai", is an oft-repeated answer one would get to hear when asked to cite the best aspect about the Maximum City (another popular sobriquet associated with Mumbai).

On Tuesday, as incessant rainfall pounded Mumbai for several hours, flooding roads, hospitals, residential areas, airport, railway tracks and almost every nook and cranny of the city, the "spirit of Mumbai" once again rose to help the needy.

Every time there is a crisis, Mumbaikars have come together to help each other to tide over the situation. Tuesday was no different.

Right from residents opening their homes and hearts to strangers who were stranded near their locality to take shelter for the night to civilians lending helping hands to policemen to clear fallen trees from roads, Mumbaikars stood united as the entire city got flooded.

Even the Mumbai Police acknowledged the helping attitude displayed by the citizens in such difficult times.

The citizens who make us proud of policing this city! Always forthcoming to help the known & unknown in a crisis #MumbaiRains #SaluteMumbai pic.twitter.com/Ccq2m5aKKc

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) August 29, 2017

However, many feel that it's the same "spirit of Mumbai" which has proven "detrimental" as the authorities have taken undue advantage of the resilience of the people by failing to do their duties.

Hailing the spirit and resilience of the city dwellers and raising questions over falling infrastructure, noted filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor tweeted this:

While spirit n resilience of Mumbaikars holds the city together, is the infrastructure falling apart? Is Mumbai sustainable? #mumbaifloods

— Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) August 30, 2017

There are several tweets which attacked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Maharashtra and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the civic body that governs Mumbai, for failing to improve city's infrastructure to withstand heavy rainfall.

Can we plz stop callin d unapologetic attitude of ministers, negligence of BMC & indifference of officials as Gr8 Mumbai Spirit#MumbaiRains

— Aaloo (@ouchh_potato) August 29, 2017

Talking about the massive destruction caused by floods in the city, which led to the death of at least five people till Wednesday, author and commentator Suhel Seth too said that authorities can't take the people and their fighting spirit for granted.

"No matter which party is in power, they are all the same. They are inept, uncaring, completely callous and have no idea how to govern," Seth told NDTV during a discussion.

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