The first ‘storm’ this monsoon season, for a variety of reasons, did not drown the city as it was feared. The primary reason was that the actual forecast was off the mark, the low pressurein the Bay of Bengal did two things — it veered off course and lost power, stopping short of the pounding rain forecast. Further, work in terms of building storm-water networks within the city, the constant presence of Ministers and officials overseeing relief work on the ground, and the partnership with a vast network of civic volunteers, all influenced the outcome positively. However, some areas still struggled with water stagnation for a couple of days at least even after the rain ceased. K. Lakshmi finds out more.