1.2. Encroachment on Mithi River

Another one is that before the flood, it was a house and it was like that, then the local government started to elevate the road okay simply elevated the road year after year. But as a result what happened they can see that it makes the houses more vulnerable water can easily come to house and it is really risky for them.

This chunk discusses how local government actions, specifically the elevation of roads, have inadvertently increased the vulnerability of homes to flooding. Originally, the area had houses, but as the government elevated the roads over the years, it made the surrounding houses more susceptible to floodwater. Instead of protection, the elevated roads created a scenario where water could easily flow into homes, posing a significant risk to residents.

Imagine living in a valley and the government builds up the road leading to your home. You think this is good because it will keep the road dry. However, when it rains heavily, the water doesn't just stay on the road – it flows into your home, making it worse than before. This is similar to what happened when locals thought elevating the road would help manage floods.

There is also an encroachment by on Mithi river some people are encroaching, this is a Mithi river you can see that new constructions arouses. So municipal authority actually demolished these places recently, but again new constructions are coming.

In this segment, the focus is on the encroachment occurring around the Mithi River. New constructions are being built close to the river, which interferes with the natural flow and ecosystem of the waterway. Even after municipal authorities demolished some illegal structures, new ones appeared soon after, indicating a persistent challenge of monitoring and controlling building practices in flood-prone areas.

Think about a park area in your community where people start to build their houses. Even though the city sends workers to tear down the homes, as soon as they leave, new houses pop up again. The encroachment on the park continues, leading to reduced green space and increased flooding risks, similar to what is happening near the Mithi River.

What we found that in 1980 it was a mangrove area totally on Mithi river, that is the road, and this is the Dharavi area, but it was actually a mangrove area. In 1990 in the early 1990s or late 1980s some settlements have come especially the construction workers they started to build temporary houses, in 1995 that is also increasing you can see again 2000, 2005, and 2013.

This chunk provides a historical overview of the Mithi River area. In 1980, it was primarily a mangrove area, but beginning in the late 1980s and into the 1990s, temporary settlements emerged, primarily built by construction workers. Over the years, particularly from 1995 to 2013, the settlements continued to grow, indicating rapid urbanization and changing land use over the decades.

Consider a beautiful, untouched forest where animals live peacefully. Over the years, people start moving in, first with tents and then building homes. Suddenly, that forest is filled with houses instead of trees. The history of how this place changed from wildland to residential area is what is being described in the Mithi River context.

The flood level in 2005 and these areas, the red mark areas close to the Mithi river, these areas were around six to ten feet of water, six to ten feet that is more than a human height okay and also they had two to five feet in most of the parts and close to the road they were not much suffered, only one feet of water.

This chunk highlights the severity of flooding that occurred in 2005, specifically in areas close to the Mithi River. The water levels reached between six to ten feet in certain places, which is significantly higher than a person's height. Conversely, areas further from the river experienced much less flooding, with just one foot of water, showcasing the drastic differences in vulnerability based on proximity to the river.

Picture a large swimming pool. If you are standing next to it and the water spills out, you could easily be swept away. However, if you're more than ten feet away, you might only get your feet wet. Similarly, those homes close to the river faced extreme dangers during the flood, while others further away remained relatively safe.

In waterlogging, they were facing annual waterlogging in these series, and you can see here that most of the building most of the houses they face this one to two feet waterlogging annually and it continues for around two to three hours most of the cases okay, some are less some are more like that.

This chunk focuses on the recurring issue of annual waterlogging in the vicinity of the Mithi River. Many buildings experience waterlogging of one to two feet, which typically lasts for two to three hours after heavy rainfall. This regular occurrence causes disruptions and potentially damages to properties, affecting the quality of life for the residents.

Think of a sponge that absorbs water. Each time it rains, the sponge soaks up water until it becomes too heavy to hold more, causing water to drip everywhere. Similarly, homes near the Mithi River become 'saturated' after each rain, leading to waterlogging and causing inconveniences to the daily lives of the residents.

It was the damage to building and damage to household, durable asset due to 2005 flood you can see those houses which are close to the Mahim Creek or Mithi river they were the most affected households by they had total damage okay. A major damage you can see also in the middle and people who are close to and they have less damage.

This chunk details the extent of damage caused by the 2005 flood, particularly for those homes located close to the Mithi River and Mahim Creek. The proximity to these bodies of water resulted in significant destruction of properties and household assets, leading to total losses for many families, while others slightly further away faced lesser damages.

Imagine living by the edge of a cliff. If a storm causes a landslide, those closest to the edge are most likely to be affected. Their homes could be crushed while those a bit further back may only experience minor effects. This scenario mirrors what happened to the houses near the Mithi River during the flood, where damage was most severe.

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