Mumbai rains: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde urged people to stay home on Monday amid torrential rainfall in Mumbai. The public transit system came to a halt as parts of the city received more than 300 mm of rainfall in just six hours. Schools and colleges were closed, and both Houses of the Maharashtra legislature adjourned after members failed to reach Vidhan Bhavan.
“It has rained a lot in less time, more than the carrying capacity. Therefore, there was waterlogging on railway tracks and roads. Traffic has started moving now. BMC, state disaster team, and NDRF are on alert,” the Chief Minister assured.
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Sea waves of 4.4 metre are expected at high tide around 2 pm, officials had said early in the day. Heavy rains have led to widespread waterlogging and disruption of suburban train services. Some areas recorded over 300 mm of rainfall within six hours from 1 am to 7 am on Monday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and the Konkan belt. Vikhroli’s Veer Savarkar Marg Municipal School and MCMCR Powai saw the highest rainfall in the last 24 hours, recording over 315 mm.
Braving #MumbaiRain & Waters, Mumbai Local Trains try to transit commuters on a working day.
But who can go against nature, Safety of Passengers also equally important. Water logging is a international phenomenon.
Sirs, #Mumbaikars understand, just need Factual & timely info. pic.twitter.com/gbJr2rGrfD— Mumbai Railway Users (@mumbairailusers) July 8, 2024
Over 50 flights have been cancelled due to the downpour. Several airlines took to X (formerly Twitter) to warn passengers and urged them to check flight status before leaving for the airport. Visuals from across the city showed people wading through waist-deep waters and cars lined bumper to bumper on Mumbai roads. All government, private, and municipal schools and colleges have been shut across the city.
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At Dombivli station, people waited for trains on submerged tracks. Water-logging was reported from Worli, Buntara Bhavan in Kurla East, King’s Circle area of Mumbai, Dadar, and Vidyavihar Railway Station.
Over 30 lakh commuters use the suburban local train services in Mumbai and neighboring Thane, Palghar, and Raigad every day. Train services between Kasara and Titwala stations in Thane district were suspended after soil covered the tracks between Atgaon and Thansit stations, disrupting rail traffic on the busy Kalyan-Kasara route.
Officials have said if the rain stops for over two hours, the waterlogging will subside, but the weather office has predicted heavy rain throughout the day. The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in Mumbai today. Sea waves of 4.4 meters are expected at high tide around 2 pm. Several trains were diverted, rescheduled, or terminated due to waterlogging between Kalyan and Kasara stations of Mumbai division. Due to heavy rainfall and flash floods on the Vasind-Khardi section between 3 am and 6 am, the track embankment got damaged.
Several teams of NDRF are deployed in Thane, Vasai (Palghar), Mahad (Raigad), Chiplun (Ratnagiri), Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara Ghatkopar, Kurla, and Sindhudurg. The NDRF rescued 49 people from a water-logged resort in Maharashtra’s Thane and 16 villagers in Palghar. They used boats and life jackets to rescue people stranded at the resort due to flooding.
