<p>Mumbai: As it rains cats and dogs, Mumbaikars woke up with fears of a deluge as they faced hyper arousal with majority of them staying indoors - instead of enjoying ‘garam chai’ and ‘bhajiya’. </p><p>The deluge of July 26, 2005, has made so much impact on the people that they react very fast to similar situations.</p><p>“It is nothing but anxiety and hyper arousal,” points out Dr Harish Shetty, an eminent Mumbai-based psychiatrist with a vast experience in disaster mental health. </p><p>“In 2006, the tendency of hyper arousal was much more, but this time around, people are keeping calm. They have become more patient, but at the same time they have not forgotten the July 26 incident. What has changed actually is that people now exchange notes on social media and this often leads to fears,” he said, adding that people don’t even step outdoors to check for themselves the ground situation. </p><p>“Over the years it fades out. But in the case of 26/7, the impact was much more,” he said.</p>.Mumbai rains | Schools, colleges shut amid heavy downpour.<p>“Whenever there are heavy rains, people tend to think of the incident that happened several years ago, and the incident comes afresh in the memory,” Dr Shetty said. </p><p>"Earlier during such rains, people used to stay home but socialise, they used to call friends for chai-bhajia... but we don't see that now," he said. </p><p>When there is hyper arousal – it results in avoidance, and people prefer to stay indoors. </p><p>“Hence people what to go back to their homes as early as possible,” he said and pointed out that big incidents like the July 26, 2005 deluge, serial train blasts of March 12, 1993, train blasts of July 11, 2006 and the November 26-29, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, remain in memory for quite a long time.</p><p>“Trauma imprinting or hyperarousal and hypervigilance are known phenomena following a disaster. Chanakya's Arthashashtra also describes this and exhorts people to confront it,” he added. </p><p>During the July 26, 2005 deluge, Mumbai could not withstand the pressure of nearly 944.2 mm rainfall in 24 hours. The high tide, accompanied by rainfall following a cloudburst – created havoc in India’s commercial capital – the memories of which are still fresh in the mind of one and all in Mumbai.</p><p>It had left over 500 dead and lakhs homeless in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane and Raigad districts. This July 26 marks the tenth anniversary of that disaster. The road, rail and air transport had come to a standstill, the communication system was paralysed and the damages were more than Rs 2,000 crore. It was a case of urban flash floods – and now commonly referred to as 26/7. Lakhs of people were stranded at different places during the deluge and could reach home only after the second or third day. Some did not.</p>
<p>Mumbai: As it rains cats and dogs, Mumbaikars woke up with fears of a deluge as they faced hyper arousal with majority of them staying indoors - instead of enjoying ‘garam chai’ and ‘bhajiya’. </p><p>The deluge of July 26, 2005, has made so much impact on the people that they react very fast to similar situations.</p><p>“It is nothing but anxiety and hyper arousal,” points out Dr Harish Shetty, an eminent Mumbai-based psychiatrist with a vast experience in disaster mental health. </p><p>“In 2006, the tendency of hyper arousal was much more, but this time around, people are keeping calm. They have become more patient, but at the same time they have not forgotten the July 26 incident. What has changed actually is that people now exchange notes on social media and this often leads to fears,” he said, adding that people don’t even step outdoors to check for themselves the ground situation. </p><p>“Over the years it fades out. But in the case of 26/7, the impact was much more,” he said.</p>.Mumbai rains | Schools, colleges shut amid heavy downpour.<p>“Whenever there are heavy rains, people tend to think of the incident that happened several years ago, and the incident comes afresh in the memory,” Dr Shetty said. </p><p>"Earlier during such rains, people used to stay home but socialise, they used to call friends for chai-bhajia... but we don't see that now," he said. </p><p>When there is hyper arousal – it results in avoidance, and people prefer to stay indoors. </p><p>“Hence people what to go back to their homes as early as possible,” he said and pointed out that big incidents like the July 26, 2005 deluge, serial train blasts of March 12, 1993, train blasts of July 11, 2006 and the November 26-29, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, remain in memory for quite a long time.</p><p>“Trauma imprinting or hyperarousal and hypervigilance are known phenomena following a disaster. Chanakya's Arthashashtra also describes this and exhorts people to confront it,” he added. </p><p>During the July 26, 2005 deluge, Mumbai could not withstand the pressure of nearly 944.2 mm rainfall in 24 hours. The high tide, accompanied by rainfall following a cloudburst – created havoc in India’s commercial capital – the memories of which are still fresh in the mind of one and all in Mumbai.</p><p>It had left over 500 dead and lakhs homeless in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane and Raigad districts. This July 26 marks the tenth anniversary of that disaster. The road, rail and air transport had come to a standstill, the communication system was paralysed and the damages were more than Rs 2,000 crore. It was a case of urban flash floods – and now commonly referred to as 26/7. Lakhs of people were stranded at different places during the deluge and could reach home only after the second or third day. Some did not.</p>