The west coast of India, on which Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is located, receives heavy rainfall during the summer months due to the presence of the Western Ghats. The Ghats is a range of mountains that lie at a distance of about 50 kilometres or 30 miles from the coast. The mountains run parallel to the west coast of India at an average altitude of about 1, 200 metres, which is approximately 3, 900 feet. The rainfall received by the west coast of Maharashtra, a western Indian state of which Mumbai is the capital, receives heavy orographic rainfall, as it lies on the windward side of the mountains.
The floods that occurred in Mumbai on July 26, 2005 were aggravated by three main factors. The first was the poor and inadequate drainage system of Mumbai, which was not capable of carrying even half the amount of water per hour on the day the disaster took place in the city. The second factor that had an adverse impact on the situation was the rapid growth and development of the northern suburbs of the city which lacked proper control and planning on the part of the city's municipal authorities. Thirdly, the mangroves that existed along the banks of the River Mithi and the Mahim Creek have been destroyed indiscriminately to make way for the construction of new buildings.
The floods that occurred in Mumbai on July 26, 2005 were aggravated by three main factors. The first was the poor and inadequate drainage system of Mumbai, which was not capable of carrying even half the amount of water per hour on the day the disaster took place in the city. The second factor that had an adverse impact on the situation was the rapid growth and development of the northern suburbs of the city which lacked proper control and planning on the part of the city's municipal authorities. Thirdly, the mangroves that existed along the banks of the River Mithi and the Mahim Creek have been destroyed indiscriminately to make way for the construction of new buildings.