- 5 months ago
Mumbai is experiencing severe disruption due to torrential rainfall, with the city receiving nearly a full month's rainfall in just three days. This unprecedented downpour has led to widespread waterlogging, impacting road, rail, and air services. The Mithi river is swelling dangerously, prompting evacuations in vulnerable areas. Schools, colleges, and the Bombay High Court have closed. The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Mumbai, and the Chief Minister stated the next 48 hours are crucial. Meanwhile, Delhi is also on flood alert as the Yamuna River breached its danger mark, leading to advisories for residents near floodplains. Authorities are making temporary arrangements for those affected.
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NewsTranscript
00:00We opened yesterday with Mumbai sinking. Today, unfortunately, no different.
00:04Mumbai continues to reel under torrential rain.
00:06Over 400 flights were delayed. Road and rail services were hit.
00:11Even the Mumbai High Court, the Bombay High Court, closed early today.
00:15The next 48 hours are said to be absolutely crucial, according to Chief Minister Devinder Farnavis,
00:20as air, road, rail, all the services have been badly hit.
00:25The question is, why has Mumbai been witnessing such intense rain over the last three days?
00:33Well, we looked into some research and this is what we found.
00:37Just in the past three days, Mumbai has received rainfall that it should have for the entire month.
00:45Now, unlike standard monsoon showers, which are often intermittent,
00:49the continuous rainfall is due to cloud stationary nature in seasonal terms.
00:54Now, August is Mumbai's second wettest month, with rainfall averaging around 560 to 620 mm frequent.
01:02Thunder shards are active. This is the wettest phase.
01:05However, this spell generally happens intermittently, which has not been the case.
01:11It started, extensive rainfall started on the 15th of August and it hasn't stopped.
01:17In fact, there is said to be no respite at least till the 20th.
01:22So far, in more than 80 hours, the city has accumulated 550 mm of rain,
01:28which is equivalent to nearly a full month's rainfall.
01:33Look what that rainfall actually brought the city down to.
01:37The unending floodwars of Singh City, Mumbai.
01:53Second day of mega deluge in Maximum City.
01:57India's financial capital brought to its knees yet again.
02:08The highest tax-paying city struggling.
02:12Unable to distinguish between sewage and rainwater as key roads and highways are submerged.
02:18And it's not just the roads.
02:24The Mithi River is swelling dangerously.
02:26The Mithi River that 20 years ago had swelled up and created havoc is also on a high.
02:39You know, it's flowing above the normal level that it generally does.
02:44And in fact, right now, it's, of course, below the red sign.
02:49But then, you know, the heavy rain and the heavy wind that one can see right here,
02:56that's something that has created quite a bit of an issue.
03:01The situation is similar in other posh suburbs of Maharashtra.
03:05The Mithi River is also on the other posh suburbs of Maharashtra.
03:35Mumbai's lifeline, the local trains, have taken a massive hit, with tracks getting waterlocked.
03:44The Mumbai-Aimedabad Highway is also inundated.
03:51We are right now at Mumbai's Sain Highway, where you can see the road has emerged in a river right now.
03:58And you can see the vehicles have been half drowned in this water.
04:06Right as of now, IMD has issued a red alert for the Mumbai.
04:11And local bodies have also asked people to not to step out of the home unless or until it is necessary for them.
04:19The iconic Queen's necklace, Marine Drive, is now a site of crashing tides and pounding rain.
04:29In Thani, a car went underwater and the occupants were rescued to safety.
04:36The rain chaos comes after 300 millimeters of rain was recorded in just 24 hours.
04:42The rain chaos is also inundated.
05:12streets, submerged cars and blocked highways. The waterlogging is so severe that even Google
05:18Maps is helpless.
05:24The IMD isn't offering much hope either. It warns of more torrential rain across Maharashtra
05:30in the coming days.
05:42Sad and worrying picture there emerging from Mumbai as we've been reporting this entire
05:48spell of torrential rainfall. So that was what all happened today. But let's take a live
05:54update on what's expected in the days to come. Because remember, this is not relenting anytime
05:59soon. What I have in front of me is the map of India. Let's sort of zoom into Mumbai a
06:05little bit to sort of tell you what's happening at the moment. You see the wind flowing. You
06:09also see a concentration of rain happening here. Now, this map gives you a prediction
06:14of how much of rainfall is expected over the next 16 days or so. And what you see here on
06:19your screen is that Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, the entire weekend,
06:27we have continuous rain that's just refusing to go away. In fact, there is a bit of a
06:33respite that comes in on Friday. So no Friday arrangements for anybody in Mumbai. Saturday,
06:38Sunday, you're going to thank yourself that you are actually home and not on the road.
06:42Because clearly the situation is not getting any better. Perhaps the reason why the chief
06:48minister has also gone ahead to say that the next 48 hours are pretty critical. But this is too much
06:53for the city perhaps to take in. As we said, a full one month of rainfall came down in just about
07:01three days time. So all authorities really don't know what to do at this point. But should they have
07:07known if these maps are available to us? Shouldn't they have calculated and made arrangements otherwise?
07:13Let's find that out with our reporters. Joining us now is Ritwik Balekar, live from Dadar. We also have
07:19Devesh Singh joining us from Thane and Mustafa Beguparan joining us from Andheri. Let me go to
07:26Ritwik first. Ritwik, like I said, this rainfall coming down heavy, a full month of rainfall coming
07:33down in just three days was known, wasn't it? How did the authorities actually prepare for it?
07:38Yeah, absolutely. The red alert was issued by IMD and BMC. But at the same time, these unexpected
07:54amount of rainfall was seen in Mumbai and the adjoining parts of the city. Right now, we are at
08:03the other station and we need to show you the pride of the people, how they are suffering and
08:08how they are struggling to go back home. Right now, be it rail services, be it flights, be it
08:17road transport, everything is badly hit and people are out on streets. Those who have come for the
08:25offices, those who have come from outside the city using long distance trains have got stuck here
08:32because there's no transport at all because from CSMT to Thane, the train service has been suspended,
08:40local trains have been suspended, also harbour lines have been suspended and now people are out on
08:46streets because the railway tracks have been submerged in the water. Here, we can see how people are waiting
08:54and queuing up to get, you know, cabs or any mode of public transport. We'll talk to them and we'll find out
09:02where they want to go, where they come from. Where have they come from?
09:07foreign
09:13foreign
09:19foreign
09:25foreign
09:31foreign
09:35foreign
09:39foreign
09:41foreign
09:43foreign
09:45foreign
09:47foreign
09:49foreign
09:51foreign
09:53foreign
09:55foreign
09:57foreign
09:59foreign
10:01foreign
10:03foreign
10:17foreign
10:23foreign
10:31We'll try and speak to some cab drivers if possible because exorbitantly they are charged
10:39is what the passengers are telling us.
10:414,000 to reach Kalyan, to reach Thane is shocking and we'll try and talk to them.
10:48How much money are you going to take Kalyan?
10:49A meter, a meter, sir.
10:51All right, so that's what's been happening where Ritwik is at the moment and we've got
10:57reporters other places as well to try and get a sense of how exactly the common man, you
11:03know, really is the one who pays a price through time, through money.
11:09Cars are inundated, cars, insurance, will they really cover for all of this?
11:12There are so many questions that come to mind but we'll come back to all our reporters in
11:16just a bit.
11:17Let's also speak to some prominent home bikers to understand how are they feeling about this
11:22repeated trend year after year, the same problem.
11:26Joining us now is Vishal Malhotra, he's an actor, he's in, he's a YouTube content creator
11:32as well now.
11:33Vishal, year on year the same story and while people, there was a time when we would say
11:39well Sobo is not impacted by these rainfalls, Sobo doesn't get inundated, there are areas
11:45that are not impacted but this time around all those things have changed.
11:52This rain and the flooding has been a leveller of sorts across Mumbai, town or otherwise.
11:58Yeah, it's unfortunate that I joined you on a day which nature has really really imploded
12:06once again on our beautiful city.
12:09It is causing tremendous discomfort to so many of the citizens of Mumbai and it's not something
12:17new, you know, that the robust citizens of our country, our city is used to.
12:26Unfortunately, I feel that a fog can always be improved upon, especially when you know that
12:34this is something that our city is prone to us.
12:39Sobred variations definitely need to be always, always being made.
12:45And we also have to understand that, as you said Sunal earlier, that within three days,
12:55the entire month of rain has been, you know, has hit our last Mumbai.
13:01So it's just an unfortunate mixture of things, I absolutely agree that we must always expect
13:09more and deserve more.
13:12And it's very, very unfortunately, right now, I've been stuck for the last five hours and
13:17concerned because I had to go and pick up a relative of mine, right.
13:22So of course, it affects everybody at every stator of the city, we can always do much better
13:31we can always aim for better, better preparation.
13:36And that is one hope that as a Mumbaikar, we always live by.
13:41On the same point, I know that this might come across as a slightly unpopular point of
13:46use, but as we discussed earlier also, that we must also give, give the due respect to
13:55the workers on the street who are trying really hard to pump out the water, despite the situation,
14:01the local, the local train riders, the, the, the, the BMC workers who are on the street,
14:07not only them, not only the government employees, but also, you know, the people who come and
14:12do delivery to us.
14:13Right.
14:14So these small little things, even when you're looking at from an animal perspective, you know,
14:18the dogs on the road, the cats on the road, even the cows, unfortunately, there are all
14:24these things which are there.
14:25All very valid points there Vishal and we're having a slight problem with your audio.
14:28Let's try and fix that very quickly.
14:30And let me move on to Aditi Mittal while we speak that, Aditi, you know, the Mumbai spirit
14:36that Vishal was speaking about is great, should be treasured, should be cherished.
14:40But when, when will this stop?
14:43I'm looking at these pictures right now and wondering if mine was a car that was sinking
14:48in like this, who's gonna give me insurance for it?
14:52If I was stuck in that, on that railway station from 10 o'clock in the morning and not have
14:57a way out, what would I do?
14:59If I were being charged 4,000 bucks, perhaps I would pay in a desperate time, but what about
15:04those who can't?
15:05And this is when we are paying, when the middle class ends up paying the maximum taxes in the
15:09country.
15:10So clearly you are known for your loves.
15:13I am not sure if you have one for the situation today.
15:17You know, as our CM, Mr. Flodnavis has said that we should not try to be like Singapore
15:25and Shanghai, Shanghai should try and be like Mumbai, which is, I mean, as you can tell right
15:32now, I am underwater, but I'm getting great internet signal from there.
15:37Thanks to my geo connection.
15:39And that is aspirational.
15:42So Mr. Flodnavis is right in that aspect.
15:45I think this is the longest now that we have gone without elections for the BMC.
15:52So there is nobody really in charge.
15:54And that has led to this situation.
15:58But Sonal, let's face it, this is a, this is not a brand new situation by any standards.
16:03We have this happen, you know, every year, year on year.
16:07But I must congratulate, you know, our current ruling dispensation because this year we have
16:15new spots of flooding.
16:16And that is progress.
16:19You know, we've got like places in South Bombay are now like dissolving.
16:25And that is a way for us to get rid of our British colonial hangover so that the buildings are dissolved
16:34into Mumbai rains and go into the Meethi River, which it's got meat in there.
16:39So the Meethi has come to meet us here on ground.
16:43So truly, actually, I believe that we are doing better than ever.
16:48I think Shanghai and and Singapore should aspire to be like us.
16:54Arati, I sense I get that sarcasm.
16:57I'm sure the viewers watching are also understanding your underwater is also the image
17:03behind you is is is telling a lot of stories.
17:05But I want to understand this.
17:08The question perhaps is also that this has been an time which is unprecedented.
17:13Like I said in the opening as well, a one month full of rainfall happened in the span of three days.
17:20Were you as a citizen?
17:21I'm trying to understand who's very aware who's on social media and everything.
17:24Did you get enough advisories from the government not to step out,
17:28ensure that you were doing your due diligence work from home,
17:31ensure you've stacked up on all the ration and things that you need?
17:34Did any of that happen at all?
17:37I do not recall anything in particular about this, but I do.
17:42I remember reading the news that we are trying to develop an extension of Bombay in Raigarh.
17:50That is something that, you know, our politicians are very keen on.
17:53In being able to make another Bombay, a bigger Bombay.
17:57And while not, I mean, that's why they don't have time to pay attention to actual Bombay
18:03or to, you know, give out these advisories and stuff like that.
18:07But otherwise, when it comes to the good things that, you know, our governments have done,
18:11we get to hear it.
18:13We get to hear it.
18:13In fact, we can't escape it.
18:16But these advisories, unfortunately, maybe I am.
18:21It's my fault because I'm underwater now.
18:23So maybe it didn't come to me directly.
18:27Arati, I hear you.
18:28But, you know, I also have a question to all the celebs,
18:32all the influential people in Mumbai right now.
18:35On the issue of dogs, we see so many people come out and talk about how this should be.
18:39It should not be hampered.
18:42People are coming out, stepping out, putting out videos, tweets,
18:47Instagram posts saying don't do this with the latest verdict that's come out on street dogs.
18:51Why aren't we hearing enough outrage from the affluent in Mumbai?
18:55Is it because they are still sort of ghettoed in their societies or what's happening there?
19:01Because even if you come out to protest, where will you stand to do the protest?
19:07You know, the water is up to your neck and your placards will get sort of soggy.
19:13And so I don't know if that is the sort of the ideal way to protest.
19:19Yes. And as for making videos, a lot of people, I mean, God bless,
19:24as long as we have a geo connection, you know, a lot of our internet is affected.
19:30And so I believe that, you know, we don't like politics.
19:35We don't like politics. So please, not politics.
19:38We cannot get involved in politics, because if we say something,
19:43then, you know, it might actually lead to some kind of change.
19:46But will it lead to any kind of change? Because there are enough people who will tell you that you're
19:51wrong and things like that. So that is why, I mean, the issue of dogs.
19:55Now, nobody cares about where the dogs are in all this flooding.
19:59Nobody is putting out advisories about making sure that the dogs can come and stay in their buildings.
20:05So now it is all the fault of the rich people and the opposition,
20:09because I believe that the rain is a conspiracy by the opposition to make our current government look bad.
20:17That's what it is. It is the rain gods conspiring.
20:20Aarti Mithal there, making you cry or happy tears, if one can call it that,
20:27or making you laugh your saddest smiles, the saddest smiles. That's what this has been about.
20:34Thank you so much, Aarti, for joining us with your perspective on this one,
20:37and really hoping that this message goes across. But let's also go back and bring in some ground
20:42reality. We also have our colleagues, Devesh Singh, who's joining us from Thane and Mustafa,
20:47is also with us. Devesh, if I can come to you and try and understand the situation in Thane at the
20:54moment. We looked at situations where people have been stuck. And what I'm trying to wrap my head
21:02around is the government did give a very clear advisory that stay at home, schools are shut,
21:07colleges are shut, even the Bombay High Court operated truncatedly today. So why are there first people
21:13out in this very dangerous scenario?
21:22Well, there are multiple people out on the roads, out on the railway platforms, out at the bus depots,
21:30out on the roads as well. And they are tending to their work. We actually, there was an advisory
21:40issue issued yesterday by the PMs, by the Brahim Mumbai Mission Corporation, by the Thane
21:47Mission Corporation, by the Thane Collectorate, by the state government as well, that there could be
21:54very, very heavy rainfall. And only if necessary, then people should step out of their residences.
22:02They have their personal commitments. They have their professional commitments. And there are
22:14multiple people out on the roads. You can see, this is Thane, this is a busy road on Thane,
22:20where is the Bangladesh office? This was flooded this morning. Yes, till it is afternoon, this area was
22:27heavily threaded. Now the water has gone down, but the traffic is still on. Traffic then also goes on
22:35and it's still on. But areas like Ghorbandar Road, which connects Thane to Meera Road. Another satellite
22:43suburb of Mumbai, Thane is on one side, while Meera Road is on one side of Mumbai. And Ghorbandar Road
22:51is the link which connects Thane to Meera Road. And it's a heavy traffic flow that is heavily flooded
22:58in areas like Kaimur, Chenakri and nearby areas. There is around four feet of water. And that is,
23:06that advisory has been issued by the Thane Mission Corporation. Now there are trains which are not
23:13running from Thane to Mumbai. From Mumbai to Thane, people are stuck. There are long distance trains
23:20which have been cancelled. Many of them have been cancelled. Many of them have been rescheduled.
23:28But there are multiple people, there are thousands of people who have been stuck in Mumbai, in Thane,
23:34and satellite cities of Mumbai, who are still there. But the reason being, there's been 400m of
23:43rainfall, above 400m of rainfall, within two days, in Mumbai and nearby areas.
23:51That's right, that's exactly the point we've been making here as well, that entire months of rainfall
23:56came crashing down in just over three days. And that's been too much for the authorities to sort
24:01of tackle with. But advisories were given, which is why I'm wondering why are people still out in these
24:06dangerous circumstances. Mustafa is joining us from the Andheri subway as well, where a lot of visuals have
24:12come out. Perhaps the most dramatic ones came out from there. Could you take us through what's
24:16happening at the moment? And what happened to the advisories? Are people not listening? Did they not
24:22reach? Or are these desperate times? Why are we still seeing people on the road?
24:33Mustapha, we'll just get back to it. But look at those visuals on your screen. There are people
24:48swimming outside a mall in Mumbai. There are cars that are completely inundated. Schools of course are
24:56shut. Colleges are shut. Even the High Court had to sort of shut down after half day or so. And this
25:04is going to continue, set to continue for the next 48 hours is what we are hearing. The Chief Minister
25:10is saying that all the preparations have been sort of put into place. But this is too much for Mumbai
25:17to handle at this point. Of course, leaving citizens extremely angry, also making citizens question.
25:26When you knew this, when there was a prediction of such massive rain, why weren't preparations done
25:33beforehand? Why weren't, why weren't these precautions taken beforehand and preparations done to tackle this
25:42massive three days of rain, which is only going to continue in the days to come?
25:52Alright, so that was Mumbai. Let's move on to Delhi, where the story is slightly different,
25:57but not so much. There has been a flood alert that has been called out in Delhi. The Yamuna River has
26:02breached the danger mark in Delhi yesterday. We told you that it went up briefly and came down to 206,
26:09and now it has been breached yet again. Alert has been issued for people staying
26:14near the floodplains, that is, people staying around the Yamuna. They've been asked to evacuate
26:20at this point and ensure that there are tents, etc. set up, where in case evacuation is required,
26:25they can move. Water has entered residential areas in the Yamuna Bazaar area, and authorities are
26:31making temporary arrangements, like we said, to shift the residents as that happens. Boats have also been
26:37deployed. Relief and rescue teams are on alert. But those are the visuals coming in from Yamuna. Dry
26:45spell most time of the year, but this time we're seeing a fury.
26:54Shivani Sharma joins us now from New Delhi to give us more updates on what's happening. Shivani, at the
27:00moment, at what stage is the alert? We hear that preparations are being done. Are we at that stage
27:05where evacuation will start to happen around the floodplains?
27:13Sonal Delhi administration is on a high alert when it comes to the water levels, the danger marks at
27:19Yamuna. I'll keep showing you the pictures from Yamuna River, where I'm presently at one of the banks,
27:25close to the ITO. And the mark had reached 205.79 today morning, but now it has receded. And Delhi Chief
27:34Minister Rekha Gupta, she had already taken stock of the situation in the Yamuna Bazaar area, where she
27:39visited herself. She walked in the water, where there are some low-lying floodplains, where the
27:45people have been residing since decades sonal. So what the Chief Minister said that there is no
27:50evacuation mark that has been reached, which is around 206 meters. And the water that had touched the
27:56level of 205.79 is now receding. Yet, the administration is monitoring the situation very
28:02closely. We'll show you the flow of water out here. Sonal, these are the pillars, which are the
28:08gates at this bridge. The water had extended up to two feet than its usual levels. That's what the
28:16people out here have been telling us. And there are a number of areas where people have been living in
28:21the low-lying areas close to the floodplains of Yamuna River. And these are the colonies that have
28:26been submerged in water, though the government has made arrangements for them to stay at safer places
28:32where the water is not there. But they say that there's lack of electricity, there is lack of other
28:38facilities that needs to be arranged. So the Delhi administration is looking into it, but yet there is
28:43a high alert that has been issued. There are boat services for any kind of emergency
28:49evacuations if required. But yes, from Hatini Kund Baraj, there was more than 1 lakh Q6 of water that
28:56was flown into Yamuna here, close to Yamuna Nagar. And in Delhi, the water levels of Yamuna River are high,
29:04but the Delhi Chief Minister says that there's no need to worry, that the administration is vigilant,
29:10and the rescue mark is now receding.
29:14All right. So for now, a bit of a relief. Water is receding. But this is going to be a fluid situation,
29:21to say the least, in the days to come, as more rain is expected. Thank you so much, Vani, for joining us
29:26with the very latest.
29:29All right. So that was the top story here on Five Live. Let's move on to some more news coming in,
29:35this time from the space of health and wellness. Now, the next story will make you think a little bit.
29:41Ever grabbed a snack that screams super healthy, only to find out that the fine print tells you a
29:47different story? The government is now finally saying enough is enough. In a major meeting in Delhi,
29:53top officials have now urged the food industry to voluntarily crack down on misleading labels or face
29:59consequences. This just isn't about labels. No more exaggerated ads either. If a company makes a
30:06claim, but they don't have solid proof, don't have independent proof to back it up, government says
30:12they will be taking action. In fact, Sanjeev Sanyal from Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council
30:18stressed that even the so-called scientific evidence in ads must be verified by outside authorities.
30:25And even the Consumer Affairs Secretary there has pitched in saying that this is a bond of trust
30:32that brands hold with customers and they will be held responsible if not more is done. The big
30:39takeaway from this meeting that happened was that there have been actually a reasonable amount of
30:45meetings that have happened on the issue of labels. Is change really coming? Food manufacturers need
30:51to take this seriously given the high stakes in people's health and trust. And what we can really
30:57expect is there going to be action, culpable action taken against brands who actually mislead you.
31:05All of that is what we've got our eyes on. But let me cut across to my colleague Sneha who gets us more
31:11details on what actually is happening. Sneha, like I said, there have been now a series of meetings that
31:16have happened on the issue of food labels. It started with the sugar boards in CBSC schools, now food labels all across.
31:23We see meetings of the Consumer Affairs Ministry, even FSSAI that has recently taken place. But all
31:30you know really comes down to when will the needle move on the issue of taking action against these brands?
31:36You know, Sonal, this reminds me of the time when tobacco warnings were being implemented and you'd recall the kind of
31:41dilly dallying that happened. Even at that point in time when the rules were that the pictures have to be
31:47so strict and they have to in fact send out a message. It should in fact be reflecting gore and it never did for the longest time.
31:53There was so much pressure from the tobacco lobby. Exactly is the situation right now when it comes to the issue of front of the pack labeling in India.
32:02Remember, countries like Chile have reported a dip in obesity levels, also a dip in problems like
32:08rather lifestyle disease and metabolic disorders like diabetes, for example, with the implementation of
32:13these rules on front of the pack labels. But India is leaning towards, you know, star ratings, which means
32:20if the food is good for you, if that particular item is good for you, it'll get one star or five star. And if it's not, then one star.
32:26That is something that FSSI seems to be leaning towards and hence the concern that we may never really have that front of the pack label,
32:34which at a glance tells you, listen, this has excessive sugar, this has excessive, you know, sodium, which is salt, and this is not good for you.
32:43So that really is the push from those people, from those working towards in the area of nutrition advocacy and talking about the fact that this is the need for the year.
32:51And the last one decade, obesity levels have doubled in India. And this is a fact that the government just cannot ignore anymore.
32:59And hence the recent guidelines from the health ministry on talking about the disadvantages.
33:03The prime minister's constant stress on bringing down the oil level in the food that we eat at by at least 10% to cut down obesity levels.
33:11But yes, if you ask me about who's at fault, everyone. Very recently, and I was shocked as the mother of a young child,
33:19I heard an advertisement that talked about the fact that a pack of oat biscuits can replace, you know, your regular breakfast, your healthy breakfast,
33:27which ideally should be protein rich. And this is shocking. These are ads like these that the FSSI needs to go after.
33:33Advertisements and people pushing junk food and how look at the ads and look at, you know, cartoon channels essentially carrying these.
33:41Our kids are, you know, they have just so much more access to this information.
33:45That's right. You see now and then you see packets which say protein packed, whole wheat, no sugar, you know, no added sugar.
33:52But behind those packs in those funny chemicals, which are all sugar substitute, perhaps even more harmful have been put in.
33:59So we really need a wholesome sort of approach to this and a way in which there can be very clear, transparent guidelines and labeling, like you said,
34:07that should come into place. Thanks so much for bringing us perspective on the story. This is not the last you've heard of it here on the program.
34:14Now, ever felt like taking a walk helped you solve a problem or noticed how taking your hands or, you know, even talking with your hands sometime,
34:24what I'm doing right now, makes your ideas clearer? Well, it turns out that it's not just a quirky behavior.
34:31There is science behind it. A new piece by psychologist Barbara Teviskay actually highlights how our bodies are actually thinking right alongside our brains,
34:41from pacing to posture, what you do physically could be shaping how you think emotionally and intellectually.
34:50We take a closer look at this very fascinating world of embodied cognition. Here's a detailed report.
34:57Ever had a gut feeling about something? Or found yourself pacing while trying to make a tough decision?
35:14Well, surprise, surprise, that pacing is not just anxiety. That's your body helping you think.
35:21That's right. According to the psychologist Barbara Teviskay, the idea that thinking happens only in the brain is just outdated.
35:31In a recent piece in the IAI news, she argues that your body is just as involved in your thought process as your mind.
35:40Yes, that means that this meat suits that you're all walking in, there are brains, little signals, well, all over your body.
35:50Kind of. I'll tell you how.
35:58Now, think with your hands, feet, spine, all of it.
36:01Trevor Sky dives into the growing science of embodied cognition.
36:06A fancy term, well, for something you probably do every day without realizing.
36:11Using your body to think.
36:14Gesturing while you talk.
36:16You see what I did there?
36:18Well, helps you form clearer thoughts.
36:21Walking to clear your head.
36:23That's not just a mood booster.
36:25It's a legit cognitive tool.
36:28Your body isn't just following instructions from your brain.
36:31It's actively participating in the whole brainstorming session.
36:35Now, forget the brain-body divide.
36:44For centuries, you've treated the brain as the control tower of the body, as the clunky airplane.
36:51Now, Trevor Sky says, no, they are both co-pilots.
36:55Thinking doesn't float above your body in some sort of cerebral cloud.
37:00It's grounded in every muscle, in every sensory experience, even in postures.
37:07Okay, try this little experiment with me.
37:09Try slouching, yet feeling confident.
37:14It's hard.
37:15It's just not the same.
37:17So now you get what I'm trying to say.
37:19Therapies are catching up on this science.
37:28The mental health world is starting to catch the drift.
37:31Practices like somatic therapy, mindfulness, body-based trauma work are gaining grounds.
37:37Turns out that treating the mind and ignoring the body is just like fixing your car software
37:43and leaving the engine on fire.
37:46So what's required is a bit of introspection.
37:48Your awareness of internal bodily signals.
37:51Think heartbeat, hunger, tight chest, breathing.
37:56All of this is becoming a hot topic.
38:06Researchers are finding links between tuning in your body and better emotional regulation.
38:11Basically, if you listen to your gut, it might stop yelling at you all the time.
38:18The bottom line here is, you are not just a brain taxi.
38:28So next time someone accuses you of thinking with your stomach or leading with your heart, thank them.
38:34They might be more right than you know.
38:36And honestly, after knowing this, you might never even look at your elbows the same way again.
38:42Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor for India Today.
38:45Fascinating, isn't it?
38:48So next time somebody calls you fidgety, tell them you're not fidgety.
38:51You're just thinking and your body is thinking along with you.
38:54To talk to us a little bit more about this, I have Dr. Amit Sen join us now.
38:58He's the director and senior consultant at Children First.
39:01He's actually been doing this with kids for a really long time.
39:04And has some really interesting anecdotes on what we can learn from it.
39:07Dr. Sen, you were telling me earlier that perhaps this is not new.
39:11This is something that we have known for a while with kids.
39:15But for the first time, not sort of tokoing someone on being very fidgety is quite a thing for adults as well.
39:24Where do you draw your daily inspiration from?
39:27And if you could share some anecdotes there.
39:30Absolutely.
39:31I'm very excited that you took this topic up today.
39:34Because we have, I think, working with children, practicing this for at least two decades.
39:41Understanding that brain development, the development of the mind, cognitions, emotions are so much to do with physical exercise, sensory stimulation of different kinds.
39:53And even if we look at, you know, wisdom from the past, you know, when parents, schools, you know, other stakeholders would insist that children should go out to play.
40:06And they should play, they should spend a good couple of hours, you know, in a garden, in the play field.
40:12And there is a reason behind it, because now science is catching up with it and saying, yes, there is evidence that all this enhances brain growth and development.
40:21Indeed, there is very clear indication that if you do not get that exercise, which is what the reality is in today's digital world, where children don't go out to play, there is an impact on brain development.
40:32One can see that. There is cortical thinning, which means the cortex of the brain, which is actually the seat of where we, you know, of thinking, of intelligence, that becomes thinner.
40:42Focus and the ability to concentrate and learn, that diminishes.
40:46The ability to regulate yourself, your own feelings, etc. is less.
40:51You're essentially saying that we've got to focus not just on our mind.
40:56We've actually got to focus on every part of our body, every organ, because all of that is constituting into the end product.
41:04So mind over matter, that debate, should we say that's settled now?
41:09Absolutely.
41:10Not the case anymore?
41:12You know, I think that this understanding that the brain is superior and is separate from the body is a Western concept.
41:19And it came from certain philosophers like Descartes.
41:22And he clearly said that that is, you know, the brain and the body is different.
41:26And in the last maybe 20 to perhaps 30 years, there's been a lot of people in the, you know, mental health fraternity who've been challenging that concept because we've understood that it's not just the brain.
41:39There are many other things that go into brain development.
41:42And it's something which works synergistically.
41:46The mind and the body, the brain and the body, they're growing together.
41:50And one supports the other. And if you take away one, then the other suffers as well.
41:54So it is not as if the brain is, is taking the first, you know, is taking the leader's role and dictating the body.
42:01Like examples are coming to me, how yoga tells you that breathing the right way can settle in a lot of anxiety.
42:07We say stuff like going weak in the knees.
42:11We say the gut feeling.
42:13This is when wisdom or historic wisdom passed on by our grandmothers for a while.
42:18And now, should we say science is finally catching up to it?
42:22Yes, yes, I would completely agree with that.
42:24Indeed, yoga and, you know, mindfulness exercises and relaxation exercises that we often practice with young people who we treat, they benefit hugely from it.
42:35Of course, we combine it with other things as well.
42:37I mean, if you look at the cognition, the intellectual development too.
42:41However, if you neglect this one, this physical bit, then there is a price to pay for it.
42:47And that is what we have seen in today's world, which is also why in our therapies today, there are a lot of therapies which are very physical.
42:55For instance, occupational therapy, which is, you know, full of movements, plays, swinging, jumping, getting into a ball pool.
43:03And when we have kids get into such a space, we help them develop what are called fundamental skills.
43:11Again, skills to do with focus, sequential tasking, you know, to think through a task, plan it and be able to do it.
43:17All those things become much better.
43:19Equally, when a child goes for a game of football or goes for a swim, they come back looking calmer and are often much more focused and able to learn much better.
43:28You know, nowadays, in many progressive schools, they allow kids to get up and walk around when the teacher is teaching.
43:35They also actually allow in some schools and we work with those schools, they allow the child to sit on a gym board where you can actually sit on a ball and keep rocking and bouncing on the ball while the teacher is teaching and there is a conversation going on.
43:49They give in things to fit it with under the table and they have what are called tera bands which are, you know, on the legs of the chair and the child can actually go like that with their feet so that they can focus better.
44:01And the whole concept comes from this realization, even in education, that all kinds of physical activity and movement helps you to learn better.
44:10The multimodal ways of learning where you're using all your senses, your hearing, your touch, your smell, your, you know, all of that as well as doing something.
44:19So nothing teaches you better than doing something.
44:21And what is involved in doing?
44:23Your motor skills, isn't it?
44:24You're using your hands, your fingers, your eyes, your, you know, sensory apparatus, all of that.
44:30So should I take away from this that stop thinking, get moving?
44:36Is that the takeaway from this?
44:38Oh, yes. Oh, yes. In fact, there are some kids and even, you know, adults who actually learn much better when they are on the move.
44:47And which is why, you know, some of the more progressive offices like Google, for instance, you know, they allow people and they have spaces for people to go and play some table tennis, go and do some music, you know, there is a board game out there.
45:01So whoever is comfortable with whatever they have, there are other spaces which are soft cushiony sofa or bean bags, you know, so you have to get in and experience it physically to be able to learn and work better.
45:13So your mind needs to work better because you're allowing your body to actually work synergistically with your brain and your mind.
45:20It's very exciting.
45:21And for all those people with cabins watching right now, this is your cue to get a treadmill installed in your office and take all those walking meetings along.
45:29If you want your mind to workshop, I think that's the that's the big one over there.
45:33Thank you, Dr. Sen, for joining us and bringing us all those very interesting and fascinating insights.
45:38Thank you. Thank you for having me. Thank you.
45:42All right. So your mind not the only one doing the thinking. Think about that one more time.
45:47And while you're at it, let's talk about why the world is going mad over matcha.
45:53It's green. It's everywhere. And it's no longer just tea.
45:57Matcha has gone from being a very quiet Japanese ritual to a global obsession and now even a luxury symbol.
46:05But is that what the perception of matcha really was? Are the Japanese really happy about it?
46:11The next report will tell you all about it.
46:21Matcha madness becoming quite luxury.
46:24Well, the world is obsessed with a certain green tree from Japan.
46:28And this obsession shows no signs of slowing.
46:31As tea farms in Japan run dry, matcha hits social media stardom in its brightest green yet.
46:38It has hit dessert menus, mitai shops, ice cream parlours and of course coffee shops with more variants than one can count globally.
46:48What was meant to be a tea is now being doused in everything from water to seasonal fruits.
46:56As it turns out, matcha's demand has skyrocketed globally over the last one year.
47:01The deep grassy aroma of the tea was once a symbol of quiet wellness, but is now turning towards becoming quiet luxury.
47:08So, is matcha following the path to becoming the next champagne, truffle, caviar or simply speciality coffee?
47:15We break it down.
47:25While everyday culinary matcha is affordable, high-grade ceremonial matcha can cost up to $3 per gram, making it more expensive than many wines and coffees.
47:35True ceremonial-grade matcha is made from shade-grown tea leaves, called tencha, hand-picked and stone-grown in small batches.
47:45The production is labour-intensive and only a limited amount is produced each year, creating scarcity, a hallmark of luxury goods.
47:53That's not all, matcha comes with an implicit cultural symbolism.
47:58It was historically part of the Japanese tea ceremony ritual for nobility.
48:03While matcha is now being marketed as a superfood, its storytelling has a lot to do with heritage than wellness.
48:09As people across the world pay more for its perceived benefits, the sleek storytelling, high-end fashion collaborations and elevated price have left people divided.
48:19Love it, hate it, you just cannot ignore the fact that matcha is the breakout, luxury and status marker of 2025.
48:30Alright, so what's the takeaway from today's Five Live?
48:33You've got to make your matcha and sit at home because there is going to be no respite from rain coming in anytime soon.
48:40That's it from us. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye-bye for now.
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