Residents of Andheri West recount feeling as though a tsunami or earthquake had struck

Water main burst in Mumbai causes extensive damage to flats and cars, leaving residents shaken and in fear.

In a shocking incident that took place on Wednesday, a water main burst at Adarsh Nagar Road in Andheri West, causing water to gush a hundred feet upwards with tremendous force. As a result, the flats of a housing society in the vicinity have been rendered completely inhabitable, and five cars were also damaged when a coconut tree crashed due to the water pressure.

The residents of Silver Sands Apartments in Lokhandwala were taken aback when pebbles, stones, and gushing water lashed their homes. Initially, they mistook it for a tsunami due to the deafening noise of falling water. Rajan Mehrotra, one of the residents, described the scene saying, "I first thought it was heavy rain but there was also a hailstorm-like noise. When I looked out of the window, I saw that Building No 19 was covered with water. The water had reached 100 feet."

Upon reaching the terrace, Mehrotra discovered that the terraces of three buildings were filled with water, causing significant damage to furniture and cars parked inside the compound. The force of the water was so great that it tore down the ceiling of their office, the garden, and even the society's boundary wall. The walls of the buildings were severely affected by seepage, prompting the need for a structural stability audit.

The incident left the residents shaken and anxious. Sudipta Sarkar, a resident of Building No 20, shared her experience saying, "I saw residents from the neighbouring wing running helter-skelter. Then I heard a loud cascade of water. I ran to my neighbour's house, shaking like a leaf. They calmed me down. We thought it was a cloudburst, a tsunami, or that our overhead tank had burst. At night, I couldn't sleep because of anxiety."

Radhika Rao, a seventh-floor resident of Building No 20, had to evacuate her home and is currently staying at a hotel with her parents. They will only return when the lift is operational again. Dhaval Shah, the president of Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens' Association, mentioned that the parents, along with a few seniors, managed to exit Building No 20 safely through the interlinked terrace of a neighboring building. It is worth noting that 80% of the residents are seniors.

Harbhajan Kaur Kalsi, another resident of Building No 20, expressed her distress over the incident. She said, "My sofas and beds had become soggy. My sister thought it was an earthquake or tsunami or even a building collapse. Even after the incident was over, we kept hearing the sound of gurgling water in our minds. The BMC didn't show up for 45 minutes. We had a sleepless night and are still in fear."

Meanwhile, the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) team worked tirelessly for eight hours to repair the aqueduct. As a result, water supply has been restored in Lokhandwala, Millat Nagar, and SVP Nagar, Mhada.

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