Dubai: Mumbai faced the worst monsoon rain in years, but it failed to dampen the spirits of its residents. Even as the city ground to a halt, residents rallied together on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They shared emergency contact numbers, updated others about areas that were facing problems and offered people a place to stay.
#RainHosts was a popular trend on social media, which people used to open their homes and offices to strangers who were stuck in the rain-hit city. A few tech-savvy volunteers turned those tweets into a downloadable spreadsheet that allowed a person in distress to find a ‘rain host’ closest to him or her. The spreadsheet had over 6,000 entries and was available on mumbairains.org, a website that was put together overnight by volunteers. The portal also provided emergency contact numbers for various organisations like the police, ambulance and children’s helplines.
Even @MumbaiPolice took to Twitter to thank all the volunteers, using the trending hashtag #MumbaiRains, and shared several screenshots of #RainHosts tweets, with the note: “Messages which feel like sunshine on a rainy day, like today. #SaluteMumbai”
There were countless tweets and Facebook posts on how residents of Mumbai showed the true spirit of the city, distributing blankets, food supplies and umbrellas to anyone in need. Communities from various backgrounds stepped up to volunteer and provide food and shelter. From gurdwaras to mosques, people set up food kitchens, posting locations on social media.
A gurdwara shared pictures of food being prepared and distributed to those who were stranded. @SinghLions tweeted: “Dadar Sikh Gurudwara served food and provided shelter all night to Mumbaikars [Mumbai residents]. Sikhs also sent food to Dadar Stn. and Tata Hospital. #MumbaiRains”
He also posted a goodbye note from a French family, that was on a trip to India, and had taken shelter at the gurdwara. The note said that the warmth they experienced had turned their worst experience into their best.
The rains also did not wash away Mumbai’s sense of humour, with several tweeps finding the lighter side to the crisis.
India’s tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi was in for a shock when his wife and actress Lara Dutta tweeted a picture that showed towels from his Grand Slam tournaments being used to block water from seeping into their homes.
Bhupathi responded: “Are u kidding me!!!! That’s years of hard work …”
Filmmaker Pooja Bhatt posted a video on Instagram, showing her neighbours indulging in some water sports, playing volleyball in waist-high water.
Another Twitter user, @TheLitttleLiar, was tongue-in-cheek about his quest to get home: “#MumbaiRains are so romantic! After hours of waiting, you get down on your knees, pop the question until one autowala [rickshaw driver] finally says ‘yes’.”
