The BMC, left red-faced after its monsoon unpreparedness lay exposed on Monday, squarely blamed the weather gods for it. BMC officials revealed that there was a delay in making dewatering pumps operational, and the monsoon “wasn’t expected to arrive this early”. Monday’s downpour left Hindmata and other low-lying areas badly waterlogged. Shopkeepers at Hindmata who escaped major losses, thanks to the bazaar being closed on Mondays, are frustrated by what they call a “chronic and avoidable” problem.

Clothing shops at Hindmata, a day after the low-lying area got flooded on May 26