A city’s filth gets worse in the rain!!!
The rainy season is a blessing that brings joy, growth, and freshness to everyone. But is it really true? During monsoon, how do people survive in flooded water drains and the stench of garbage? In India, the rainy season continuously leads to waterlogging and inadequate sanitation, resulting in higher levels of filth and increased health risks.
Every year, the rainy season brings with it the promise of relief from the scorching heat. The cool breeze, the scent of wet earth, and the pitter-patter of raindrops are supposed to be soothing. Yet, for residents of many Indian cities, especially metro areas like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and others, this welcome season quickly transforms into one of misery. Behind the romanticism of rain, an ugly truth emerges: a city choking in filth, reeking with garbage stench, and drowning in its own neglect.
Overflowing Drains and Blocked Roads
The key reason for the mess during the monsoon is bad drainage. Even though people complain and officials make big promises, most drains are still blocked before the rains start. Plastic waste, food wrappers, building waste, and household trash, all thrown away carelessly, end up blocking the small, old drains.
Once the first heavy rainfall hits, roads start looking like rivers, and within hours, low-lying areas are flooded. It’s a nightmare for daily commuters. People are seen walking through knee-deep, dirty water, unsure of what lies beneath, open manholes, broken roads, or worse. The mix of sewage water and rain creates a toxic mess, risking serious infections and skin diseases. Dirty cowsheds and not enough rat control lead to more cases of leptospirosis, a disease spread by rats.
During the monsoon season, open fields and places with poor cleanliness are most affected by dirt and mess. These areas, often covered with plants and filled with trash, become places where mosquitoes and other insects that spread disease can multiply, creating big health risks for people. Rainwater has collected there, leaving people with nowhere to walk and shopkeepers stuck without customers. This has become a serious health and cleanliness problem.
The Foul Odour of Apathy
The situation becomes even worse when uncollected garbage starts mixing with rainwater. Overflowing dumpsters, plastic bags floating in water, rotting food waste, the smell becomes unbearable. In many parts of cities, garbage trucks either come late or skip rounds due to waterlogging, resulting in mounds of trash piling up on roadsides.
The bad smell, especially when the air is humid, makes it very hard for people to breathe easily. People who live near garbage dumps or crowded areas are hit the hardest. Children get sick more often, and older people have trouble breathing because they are always around dirty air. For people living in small spaces without clean bathrooms, the rain does not bring happiness; it brings sickness.
Health Hazards on the Rise
With stagnant water comes the breeding ground for mosquitoes. Cases of dengue, malaria, chikungunya, and typhoid rise drastically during this season. Hospital wards overflow, clinics remain packed, and pharmacies see a surge in sales of antibiotics and fever medicines.
People going to the bathroom in the open in some slum areas during rain becomes an even bigger problem, as waste gets washed into shared water sources or streets, mixes with rainwater, and gets into homes. Those who can’t afford clean drinking water often get sick from diseases spread by dirty water, like diarrhea and jaundice.
Garbage and Governance: Who’s Really Responsible?
The problem of dirty streets and waterlogging during the rainy season happens every year. Municipal corporations always say they’re ready but they never, they talk about cleaning drains, removing garbage, and fixing roads. But most of the time, the work starts late or sometimes isn’t done properly. Contractors are hired, money is used, and pictures are taken for the media, but the actual results are always the same. The problem of dirty streets during the rainy season is not new.
At the same time, citizens are also responsible. Even though there are awareness campaigns, most people don’t separate their waste. Plastic is thrown around carelessly, and many still dump garbage on the streets. When both the government and the public don’t act responsibly, these problems will remain the same.
“ Monsoon season usually excites the people, however, Shrieen does not exactly excite, but why? Shireen was a twelve-year-old schoolgirl who lived in a crowded neighbourhood in East Delhi. She went to school every morning in her neatly ironed school uniform with her heavy bag and a cheerful smile. But as soon as the monsoon set in, her smile faded.
It had rained for three days straight. The roads near her house were already narrow and broken, but now they had turned into muddy rivers. On the way back from school one wet afternoon, Shireen got off the school bus and immediately wrinkled her nose. The stench of rubbish mixed with rainwater hit her like a wave. Her lane was flooded, dirty as far as she could see. The stench was unbearable. She covered her nose with the edge of her henkie, but that didn’t help much.
She tried to tiptoe around the puddles, but there was nowhere dry to go. The drains had overflowed and rubbish from the surrounding bins had spilled onto the street. She hesitated for a moment, then stepped carefully into the water, hoping it wasn’t too deep. But within seconds, her shoes were soaked and dirty water splashed onto her socks and uniform.
Disgusted, she looked around. Nobody seemed to care. A man rode past on his bike, more dirty water flowing in her direction. Shireen felt a wave of frustration rise up inside her. “This happens every year,” she muttered angrily. “Why can’t they clean the drains before the rain?”
When she arrived home, her mother frowned at her muddy clothes and soaked shoes. “Again again? You walked through this mud?” Shireen nodded dumbly, too tired to explain. She washed her feet three times, but the smell still hadn’t gone away. Later that evening, as she did her homework, she stared out of the window. The rain had stopped, but the water hadn’t disappeared. She knew she would have the same struggle tomorrow. Shireen was no longer just annoyed, she was disappointed. She loved her city, but she wished she loved it enough to keep its roads clean.”
The Economic Cost of Filth
Garbage and dirty surroundings not only affect health but also hurt the economy. Waterlogging shuts markets, delays transport, and daily workers lose income. Shops near garbage see fewer customers, especially in the monsoon. Businesses like food stalls and clinics also suffer. Government money meant for monsoon cleaning often gets lost in corruption. While the rich manage in comfort, the poor, like street vendors and rickshaw pullers, struggle the most.
What government takes initiative in the rainy season?
In Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kanpur, advanced technology is improving monsoon flood management. Real-time alerts warn authorities and citizens early, while drones monitor waterlogging and blocked drains. IoT devices and control rooms enable quick, coordinated responses. These innovations reduce damage, boost drainage, and enhance safety during floods.
During the rainy season, the government actively addresses waterlogging and drainage by identifying risk-prone areas and assigning engineers or nodal officers for oversight. Drains and stormwater channels are thoroughly cleaned before the monsoon, while key sites are equipped with modern pumps and real-time surveillance systems.
Citizens can report waterlogging through a 24×7 helpline, and government officials are held accountable for swift action. These initiatives work together to reduce urban flooding and protect public safety during heavy rains.
Is There a Way Out?
The solution needs to be tackled from different sides. First, city authorities should take action before the rainy season begins, not wait until it’s already raining. Drains should be cleaned properly and often, garbage should be collected quickly and emergency health services must be made stronger.
Citizens should stop littering, separate their waste, and not use roads as dustbins. Spreading awareness is good, but strict rules and fines are also needed- even for housing societies that throw waste carelessly. Technology like smart bins, GPS on garbage trucks, and public tracking can make the system faster and more transparent.
Rain is beautiful, but in a dirty and badly planned city, it becomes a problem. During monsoon, all the waste and filth come out, showing how the system has failed which drastically affected the people. Cleanliness shouldn’t be just for the rainy season, it should be a regular habit. It’s time to stop accepting the mess and start asking for a cleaner city.