Mumbai Flood Prone Areas

An interactive map that shows flood-prone areas in the Mumbai city. The map has been created based on flooding and water logging data observed in news and local sources based on Mumbai flooding incidences reported in 2005, 2015, 2017 and 2018. The red dots shows the major locations known for water logging and the pale blue polygons show the approximate extent of the water logging area based on news reporting or local knowledge.

Mumbai Overview

Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra state of India, is a densely populated city on the western coast of Indian peninsula. A cosmopolitan metropolis, earlier known as Bombay, Mumbai is also the largest city in India. Mumbai is undoubtedly the commercial capital of India and is one of the predominant port cities in the country. Mumbai's nature, as the most heterogeneous and multicultural Indian city, is symbolized in the presence of the Bollywood industry within the city, the center of the globally-influential Hindi film and TV industries. It is also home to India's largest slum population.

Mumbai is called as an island city because of its nature of origin. It was originally a conglomeration of seven islands on the Konkan coastline, which over time were joined through land-fillings to form the island city of Greater Bombay. The city has an estimated metropolitan population of about 22.05 million in 2018, making it the 4th most populous city in the world and one of the populous urban regions in the world.

Mumbai is an efficient city in some ways, but this reputation depends on fair weather. It turns into a soggy mess with the arrival of a monsoon. This year (2018) the season has begun with the spectacular collapse of a pedestrian bridge on a crucial railway line in Andheri, causing injuries and overall urban paralysis. Not even a year has passed since the ghastly stampede on a foot over bridge at Elphinstone Road station, that took over 20 lives. The recurrent disasters involving infrastructure are proof of the indifference among policymakers to the city’s needs, even as they speak of a ‘global standard’ of living, which is highly questionable.

Mumbai Flooding Problems

Come monsoon season and Mumbai, the so called to be a global city, turns into an ugly gutter with flooding and water logging in many parts of the city, disrupting the normal life of the city to almost standstill position. There are some specific areas in the city which are highly prone to flooding and water logging; the first name that comes to this list is the Hindmata area. It’s like the epicenter of news when it rains heavily in Mumbai. Few hours of heavy rain and this place starts drowning. Apart from this places like Kurla, Sion, King Circle, Dadar, and Matunga are prone to severe flooding. Moving to the western part of the town, Juhu, Bandra, Mahim, Santacruz, and Kalina are areas where it rains a lot and these areas are also prone to fill in fast. These areas form the backbone of Mumbai, connecting the island city to its suburbs, or forming entry points to the suburbs. All these flooding and water logging cause public and private transport coming to a standstill, with loss of lives and properties.

Although, it floods every monsoon, the civic body refuses to listen to residents’ claims, said activists. As somebody says, “Mumbai will flood, it will flood every monsoon…, and there is only one reason for that, that is, the people of Mumbai and also those who rules the city…” Obviously, the people of Mumbai are responsible because they throw all their waste garbage here and there, which flows in gutter and blocks all the sewage pipes which results in water logging, and hence cause flooding Mumbai City. Similarly, the civic body is also equally responsible for these floods because of their negligence behavior, lack of planning ability, incompetent planners and engineers, and top of all, a corruption-prone and unethical mindset of the people who are responsible for management of the Mumbai civic system.

Read More

Dangerous Places on Earth

An interactive map that shows most thrilling and dangerous places of the world, which one would not dare to visit in general. These places include dangerous country-borders and locations, which are considered as life-threatening, hazardous, or risky for normal life survival. In the map the red circles with skull symbol shows dangerous locations, whereas the yellow lines show the dangerous country-borders. Click on these features to know more details about it.

Dangerous Places on Earth

When we say the world is a beautiful place to stay or roam around, we should put exception to some places though. Because not all places on this earth are beautiful; some are dangerous too. From deadly earthquake-prone locations to areas with a surplus of crime, there are places on earth that are considered as life-threatening, hazardous, or risky for normal life survival. It’s now easier than ever to visit distant locations around the world. But just how there are beautiful places to visit, there are places that are definitely not tourist-friendly. Of all the places to go on your next vacation, these places should not be on your travel list. You might consider not visiting these places when planning your next trip.

The above map tries to explore and summarize such places on the interactive online map for quick reference.

The definition of dangerous places on earth can be explained as two types - ones that are naturally dangerous for humans to strive, and others that are dangerous because we humans have made it so for ourselves. Places like hurricane-prone areas, harsh deserts, or earthquake or volcano-prone regions comes under the first category, whereas places like most of the war-torn regions, disputed country-borders, or nuclear leakage and contaminated sites, crime-ridden cities, etc. comes under the second category of dangerous places on earth. When we obviously can't do anything for the first category; we can definitely control the second category if we have will-power and understanding and make the world a better place to live.

Read More

The Great Wall of China

An illustrative and detailed map showing the greater geographical extents and ground points of the Great Wall of China, including the Great Wall Traces, Forts, Watchtower and Beacons, identified through various times of the Chinese Dynasties, started from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), continued through Han, Liao, and Jin Dynasties, and finally entering the Ming Dynasty (1368-1664 CE).


Data Source: The KMZ files of the Great Wall of China is freely available to download at the site researchgate.net.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is the most extraordinary feature of engineering in history and one of the most iconic man-made structures on the planet. It is the ultimate wonder of the world. It took more time, more people, and more material to build this mega structure than any other man-made features on this planet. The world’s longest wall is the biggest and an awe-inspiring feat of ancient Chinese defensive architecture. The Chinese great wall winds its way across west to east breadths of China, generally built along the historical northern borders of China, scaling all kind of terrains: deserts, rocky mountain peaks, valleys and deep gorges, till it reaches the sea in the far east. Some sources claim that a trace of the Great Wall of China is visible from the space as well.

But why did the Chinese go to that staggering length to build it. Well, as I read somewhere, the wall was the result of immense blood, sweet and fear the ancient Chinese people faced. The ancient northern borders of China were battle grounds of frequent invasions from the fearsome horse-riding archers - the Xiongnu. This forced the Chinese emperors to adopt a radical strategy; they decided to build a wall - a linear complex fortress. It was built to keep out the raiding parties of nomadic tribes of the Eurasian Steppe, including the Mongols, Turic and Xiongnu, of modern-day Mongolia and Manchuria and to protect the Chinese states, empires, and the Han people from these invaders. With the wall height raising up to 20 feet, the wall distinctively changed the landscape across the territories, blocking strategic week points and passing through various terrains, and evolved over 400 years and 6000 miles.

The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials. Millions of the people were involved in construction of the Great Wall over various times of the Chinese Dynasties, started in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), continued through Han, Liao, and Jin Dynasties, and finally took advanced shape during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1664 CE). The labour force used to build the Great Wall were not very skilled craftsmen or engineers, but were common workers, soldiers, forcibly recruited farmers, slaves, convicts and war prisoners. Even then the Great Wall of China carries a simple yet sophisticated and wonderful design; simple enough to be built quickly and with locally available materials and sophisticated enough that still stand upright after centuries.

How I created this map

The KML file that I downloaded from the above-mentioned source was suitable for opening in Google Earth Pro desktop application, but was not suitable for opening on top of online Google Map. So, I studied the content and structure of the KML, made some changes using normal code editors, like Notepad++, SciTE Text Editor, and made changes so that all layers open in Google Map. I have edited the KML files to remove the folder view and converted the data for normal layered view. And then I have added generalised lines to show the extents of the great walls. The KML file was containing various point locations of the of the great walls, like pillar or post locations, fort positions, location of beacons or watchtowers. I interpreted these point locations on top of satellite image in Google Map and tried to draw the traces of the great walls in various dynasties as shown in the map.

Seeing the vastness of the Great Walls of China, it is difficult to draw the exact extents of the walls with precise orientations and alignments. But I have tried to use my best judgment, with whatever time available, to compare the KML data with the impressions seen in the background Satellite image and decide on the positioning of the wall. Somewhere it could be correct, somewhere it might not be accurate. I leave it on the viewer to interpret accordingly. After all, this map created just to explain the extents of the Great Walls of China and to show why it is considered as a wonder of the world.

Read More

Seven Sisters of the North-East India

An informative map showing the geographical positions of the seven north-eastern sister states of India. Click on the polygons to know details about that state in the Legend Box.

The North-East Region of India

In India, North-East is a cumulative synonym for the seven north-eastern states namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. These states cover about 8% of India's total area. Although there is great ethnic and religious diversity within these seven states, they bear similarities in terms of the political, social and economic spheres. The land of North East India has the most eco-friendly destinations full of natural attractions, the great wildlife, adventure options, tribal attractions and much more for perfect unexplored holiday tours.

The Northeast region can be physiographically categorised into the Eastern Himalayas, Northeast Hills (Patkai-Naga Hills and Lushai Hills) and the Brahmaputra and the Barak Valley Plains. The region is covered by the mighty Brahmaputra-Barak river systems and their tributaries. Northeast India has a subtropical climate that is influenced by its relief and influences from the southwest and northeast monsoons. It is the rainiest region in the country, with many places receiving an average annual precipitation of 2,000 mm (79 in), which is mostly concentrated in summer during the monsoon season. Cherrapunji, located on the Meghalaya plateau is the rainiest place in the world with an annual precipitation of 11,418.7 mm (449.6 in).

Read More

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

An informative map showing locations of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites on Google map, scattered across various countries worldwide. Click on the red circular dots on the map, representing UNESCO World Heritage Sites, to know more details.


Data Source: UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Official World Heritage List in other formats

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area which is selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, and is legally protected by international treaties. The sites are judged important to the collective interests of humanity.

There are various parameters that needs to be fulfilled for a site or place to be selected by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. It should have either historical importance or should represent scientific or cultural value of the civilization. Once a site is selected as World Heritage Site, it is the responsibility of the central government of the country in which the site is located to protect and preserve it for future. India is fortunate enough that it has many sites selected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites owning to its rich and diverse heritage covering scientific, cultural, historical significance. As of 2018, India has 36 heritage sites, the sixth most of any country (Wikipedia), representing magnificent specimens of architecture, unique traditions of culture and amazing natural objects.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites are generally the places of tourist attraction and attract people from all over the world to visit them. Hence, it would be helpful for people, mainly like tourists, to know about the location and surroundings of these places before planning a tour. The above map was created after grooming the freely available KML file from the above-mentioned data source.

Read More

The Bermuda Triangle

An interesting illustrative map showing the geographical extents of the Bermuda Triangle in the Atlantic Ocean, along with the approximate locations of the unsolved incidents that have happened in the region.

The Bermuda Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a loosely-defined region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean, where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

Located in the Atlantic Ocean, the Bermuda Triangle extents are defined between Bermuda Island, Puerto Rico Island and Miami Beach in Florida as shown in the above map. The Bermuda Triangle has long been believed to be the site where a number of mysterious plane and boat incidents have occurred. While it has become part of popular culture to link the Bermuda Triangle to paranormal activity, most investigations indicate bad weather and human error are the more likely culprits.

Research has suggested that many original reports of strange incidents in the Bermuda Triangle were exaggerated and that the actual number of incidents in the area is similar to that of other parts of the ocean. While its reputation may scare some people, the Bermuda Triangle is actually part of a regularly sailed shipping lane with cruise ships and other boats also frequently sailing through the area.

But nevertheless, whether Bermuda Triangle is a myth or an unsolved mystery, the following incidents, which I compiled from various sources in the internet, also illustrated in the above map, can't be denied to have all really happened at the region!

Deering Shipwreak: On January 31, 1921, Carroll A. Deering a coal cargo vessel was sighted run aground on Diamond Shoals, an area off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, that has long been notorious as a common site of shipwrecks.

Flight 19 Disappearance: Flight 19 was the designation of a group of five Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo bombers that disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle on December 5, 1945 after losing contact during a United States Navy overwater navigation training flight from Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The same night the incidents happened, two Martin Mariner planes were sent for search operation, but then one of them never returned. A passing by freighter ship SS Gaines Mill reported that they saw a huge explosion on the ocean at a distance, but nothing was found in that reported spot.

Star Tiger and Star Ariel Disappearance: G-AHNP Star Tiger disappeared on January 30, 1948, on a flight from Azores to Bermuda, and G-AGRE Star Ariel disappeared on January 17, 1949, on a flight from Bermuda to Kingston, Jamaica. Both were Avro Tudor IV passenger aircraft operated by British South American Airways. Both planes were operating at the very limits of their range and the slightest error or fault in the equipment could keep them from reaching the small island Bermuda Triangle.

Douglas DST airliner Disappearance: The disappearance of a Douglas DST airliner, registered NC16002, occurred on the night of 28 December 1948 near the end of a scheduled flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Miami, Florida.

KC-135 Stratotanker Collided: On August 28, 1963, a pair of US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft collided and crashed into the Atlantic. The Bermuda Triangle version of this story specifies that they did collide and crash, but there were two distinct crash sites, separated by over 160 miles (260 km) of water.

Ellen Austin Encounter: One of the more fascinating oceanic tales is that of the strange encounter between the Ellen Austin and an abandoned vessel found adrift near the Bermuda Triangle. The Ellen Austin‘s captain sent two separate crews to bring the vessel to New York as a salvage prize, however both crews mysteriously vanished, and the derelict was lost forever.

USS Cyclops Missing: The incident resulting in the single largest loss of life in the history of the US Navy not related to combat occurred when the cargo collier Cyclops, carrying a full load of manganese ore and with one engine out of action, went missing without a trace with a crew of 309 sometime after March 4, 1918, after departing the island of Barbados.

Connemara IV Drifting: A pleasure yacht was found adrift in the Atlantic south of Bermuda on September 26, 1955. The crew of the yacht vanished while the yacht survived being at sea during three hurricanes. An investigation revealed that she had dragged her moorings and gone to sea.

Marine Sulphur Queen Disappearance: SS Marine Sulphur Queen, a T2 tanker converted to carry molten sulphur, noted for its disappearance in 1963 near the southern coast of Florida, taking the lives of 39 crew members on board. On February 2nd 1963, Marine Sulphur Queen started her ill fated voyage from Beaumont, Texas destined towards Norfolk when she was carrying over 15000 tons of molten sulphur.

USS Proteus Disappearance: The USS Proteus (AC-9) was a Navy collier that had been converted into a merchant ship. It was never heard from again after November 23, 1941, when it left from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, bound for an East Coast port in the United States. The approximately 540-foot-long (165 meters) ship was carrying 58 crew men and a cargo of Bauxite ore to be made into aluminum, appears lost somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle.

USS Nereus Disappearance: USS Nereus (AC-10) was one of four Proteus-class colliers built for the United States Navy before World War I. The craft was named after the mythological Greek sea God Nereus, meaning protector of sailors. The USS Nereus was lost at sea sometime after 10 December 1941, at it mad its way to Portland, Maine, from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. It disappeared with a crew of 61 along the same route as its sister-ship, the USS Proteus, had disappeared in the previous month.

Read More