Rain mayhem in Mumbai: Local train and flight services hit; schools shut: Video
Heavy rains pounded Mumbai and adjoining areas, severely affecting the Central Railway's suburban services due to waterlogging on tracks and also hit the airport operations leading to 50 flight cancellations on Monday.
Mumbai: Heavy rains pounded Mumbai and adjoining areas, severely affecting the Central Railway’s suburban services due to waterlogging on tracks and also hit the airport operations leading to 50 flight cancellations on Monday.
The rain mayhem led to inundation of many low-lying areas in the city, impacting vehicular movement, and people were seen wading through flooded streets.
The state government declared a holiday for all schools in Mumbai, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.
Some areas in Mumbai received more than 300 mm of rainfall in just six hours ending at 7 am, causing inundation of roads and low-lying areas.
Heavy rains also lashed the city throughout the day, further compounding the woes of residents.
Both houses of the Maharashtra legislature were adjourned as many members and officials could not reach the Vidhan Bhavan due to the downpour.
Maharashtra Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Anil Patil and NCP MLC Amol Mitkari alighted from the Howrah-Mumbai train and walked on tracks for some distance, a video of which went viral.
“The train was stuck up for about two hours. We got down on the tracks between Dadar and Kurla stations. I walked around 2 to 2.5 km, including on railway tracks, and reached Nehru Nagar police station,” Mitkari said, adding some legislators were also stuck in the same train.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took stock of the heavy rain situation by chairing a meeting at the Mantralaya and visiting the control room of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The civic body said there was be a high tide of 4.40 meters in Mumbai at 1.57 pm.
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said in the assembly that flooding occurs in Mumbai when there are heavy rains along with high tide.
Train services on the fast line of the Central Railway’s (CR) main corridor between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai and neighbouring Thane were suspended for a few hours due to waterlogging at various places and later resumed, as per officials.
The Harbour corridor services were also suspended temporarily due to waterlogging at Chunnabhati.
Commuters complained the suburban services were running late. There was heavy rush of commuters at various stations and in trains.
The CR officials said due to heavy rain and high tide in Mumbai, local train movement in the suburban section was affected and asked people to avoid travelling unless unavoidable.
The Western Railway said suburban trains were running up to 10 minutes late because water was above the track level between Matunga Road and Dadar due to heavy showers.
“High capacity water pumps are being utilised to drain water away from the railway tracks to ensure a smooth commute for Mumbaikars,” a Western Railway spokesperson said.
Heavy rains and low visibility led to the suspension of runway operations at the Mumbai airport from 2.22 am to 3.40 am on Monday and cancellation of 50 flights, according to sources.
Flights were diverted to cities such as Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Indore, among others, they said.
A spokesperson of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking in the morning said at least 40 bus routes in the city and suburbs were either diverted or curtailed due to waterlogging on roads at various locations.
The IMD predicted moderate spells of rainfall in the city and suburbs and heavy showers at isolated places in the next 24 hours.
The civic body appealed to citizens not to believe in rumours and dial its control room numbers for emergency help.
Municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani kept an eye on the situation from the disaster management control room.
In the 24-hour period ending at 8 am on Monday, the island city recorded an average 115.63 mm rainfall, while the eastern and western parts of Mumbai received 168.68 mm and 165.93 mm rain, respectively, an official said.
In eastern Mumbai, Govandi recorded the highest 315.6 mm rainfall, followed by 314.5 mm at Powai, while in western parts, Malpa Dongri in Andheri received the highest 292.2 mm rainfall followed by 278.2 mm at Chakala.
In the island city, Pratiksha Nagar got 220.2 mm rainfall, followed by 185.8 mm in Sewri Koliwada.
In neighbouring Thane district, a bridge was washed away while 54 persons were rescued after their houses were inundated, officials said.
At least 275 houses in different areas suffered damages and around 20 vehicles were swept away, the Thane district administration said in a release.
Police and other district authorities evacuated several tourists and trekkers stranded at the Raigad hill fort following heavy rains, officials said.
The fort, located around 170 km from Mumbai, has now been closed for visitors till July 31, they said.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in Kurla and Ghatkopar areas of Mumbai and in other parts of Maharashtra, including Thane, Vasai ( Palghar), Mahad (Raigad), Chiplun (Ratnagiri), Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Sindhudurg, a spokesperson of the NDRF said.
