Floodwater surrounded homes in Beaumont, Texas, about 70 miles northeast of Houston, which seems to have suffered the worst in the aftermath of Harvey, a category 4 cyclonic storm that pounded the area with record rainfall for several days before blowing across to Louisiana and Mississippi. With most roads under water and the Neches River still rising, federal officials are trying to get enough bottled water into Beaumont to prevent a health crisis.

Vehicles stuck at a flooded street after heavy rains in Thane, Mumbai.   | Photo Credit: PTI

In Mumbai, a torrential downpour on Tuesday brought back memories of the disaster of 2005 caused by over 99 cm of rainfall in a 24-hour period that left hundreds dead. This time too, there was loss of life, but on a lower scale. As vehicles got stuck on flooded streets and people were marooned, many having to stay over at their workplaces, civic experts and environmentalists were left wondering whether any lessons had been learnt from the 2005 deluge. Were natural drainage systems opened up? Was unbridled construction stopped? If monsoon flooding is inevitable, why are our cities not better prepared?