Mumbai Rains: Forced To Shut Shop, Vegetable Vendor Breaks Down On The Side Of The Road

Monsoon in Mumbai is known to wreak havoc on people's lives each year and 2020 is no different. With this year already being painful enough due to the pandemic, heavy rains have just added to people's woes in the city.

When seen as a whole, we see a city; but when an individual's pain comes to light, the impact is more. Such is the story of this vegetable vendor who was photographed sitting on a road divider at King Circle with his soaked shoes in hand and a dripping wet kerchief covering his head.

The photograph was taken by Mumbai Mirror photojournalist Sachin Haralkar who saw Ashok Singh, a 45-year-old Bhendi Bazaar vegetable vendor crying on the side of the road.

Spirit of Mumbai tired and beaten_read the entire story_ @mumbaimirror pic.twitter.com/SkJAORgGSz

¡ª Sachin Haralkar (@sachin_haralkar) August 6, 2020

The day Mumbai drowned due to the heaviest rains of the season was the same day the city was planning to get back on its feet after four months of being restricted due to COVID-19.

Like every other hopeful business owner in the city, Singh had planned to open his vegetable shop but as soon as the city got flooded, he had no choice but to shut shop. A resident of Kurla, Singh is the father of two daughters; one of them lost her job during the coronavirus-induced lockdown and the family had exhausted all its savings as well.

Twitter

Forced by the will of nature, Singh broke down on the side of the road as he was on his long way back home. This brings in the important question - How long will Mumbaikars keep facing this issue?

Even the iconic BSE signage on the roof of the Bombay Stock Exchange building in Fort collapsed. Rain water entered hospitals and COVID centres, people's homes were flooded, trains were stranded on tracks and vehicles were submerged on roads.

Twitter

The weather bureau has predicted "continuation of intense rain" for Thursday. Local authorities have advised people to stay at home.