Mumbai Rains: Waded in waterlogged roads? Beware of leptospirosis!

Commuters walk through the flooded streets of Nalasopara. Pic/Samiullah Khan

Wednesday's waterlogging raised the fear of leptospirosis and other monsoon-related ailments, especially with a large number of people wading through flooded tracks infested with rodents. Civic hospitals have been put on alert.

"Till late evening, no untoward incident was reported," said Dr Rajani Jaqtab, CMO, Veer Savarkar Municipal Hospital. "Flood water is a mixture of rain and sewage water, which contains dangerous organisms," said Dr Ketan Vagholkar, DY Patil Hospital, Nerul, which was partly flooded. "Spiro organisms present in rodent urine entering the human body can cause gastro or even haemorrhagic fever, including lepton and skin infection."

"The organisms may enter via wounds in the leg or from between infected toe-nails," said Dr Wiqar Shaikh from GMC. The BMC said civic dispensaries and ward offices have preventive medicines.

Will insurance cover losses?

The loss of Wednesday's flooding may run into crores with those who incurred losses uncertain if insurance will cover them. "It will depend on the policy type," said Ankit Mehta, an insurance expert. "Usually, people take fire, flood and cyclone cover, but the surveyor's biggest challenge will be to ascertain quantum of loss and whether the insurer has taken policy for under-insurance (not covering entire stock value) in which case, the insurer will not be entitled for complete coverage. Further, many households in Mumbai do not take insurance cover for businesses/homes." Designer Jilu Parekh, who has a factory in Ghatkopar, managed to move his creatives to a higher level, but his machinery and other material went under. Speaking to mid-day, Jilu said, "If the BMC's claims that all nullahs in the area were cleaned, how did this happen? Who will bear our losses?"

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