Mumbai reels under torrential rain; air, road and rail services hit

Mumbai, Aug 19 (PTI) Heavy rains battered Mumbai for the second day on Tuesday, flooding streets, severely disrupting road and rail traffic and also affecting flight services, officials said.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reviewed the situation and said the civic chief told him the city received nearly 200 mm rainfall in just six hours.

Nearly 350 persons from Kurla area were shifted to safer locations as the Mithi river, which runs through the city, swelled after torrential rains, Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office said.

Schools, colleges, government and semi-government offices remained shut and the Bombay High Court functioned only till 12.30 pm due to the incessant rains which crippled normal life.

At least eight flights were diverted and many were delayed at the airport here. Airlines informed passengers about flight delays due to persistent rain, and low-visibility procedures were put in place intermittently.

According to sources, six flights of IndiGo airlines and one each of SpiceJet and Air India were diverted to nearby airports, including Surat, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

The Mumbai Police and civic authorities appealed to residents to step out of homes only if necessary and also requested the private sector to allow work from home.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a 'red alert' for Konkan region, including Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Palghar districts and adjoining ghat areas of central Maharashtra, warning of extremely heavy rainfall till Wednesday.

The IMD said widespread rainfall was very likely over Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra's ghat regions, with heavy to very heavy showers at several places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall.

The Central Railway suspended its local train services on the harbour line between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kurla stations due to submergence of tracks in a section after heavy rains, officials said.

Both local and long distance trains heading for Mumbai were short terminated at Thane station. No trains were being run between Thane-CSMT, and Mankhurd-CSMT as the tracks were covered in water due to the Mithi river overflowing, the Central Railway said.

The NDRF rescued a man who was being swept away in the Mithi river at Filterpada in Powai, officials said.

Five NDRF teams have been deployed at Kranti Nagar, Kurla and were carrying out rescue operations, they said.

The city civic body said the government and semi-government offices here were closed on Tuesday and appealed to the private establishments to allow their employees to work from home and avoid unncessary travel.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced the closure as a precautionary measure. Its statement said the decision applies to all BMC offices and state-run establishments, excluding essential services.

Schools and colleges were also shut in the city in view of the relentless rains.

The Directorate of Higher Education declared a holiday for all senior colleges in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. The order applies to colleges in Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.

The Mumbai Police appealed to residents to step out of homes only if necessary and also requested the private sector to allow work from home.

Several parts of the city, including Borivali, Andheri, Sion, Dadar and Chembur, witnessed intense downpour through the night and the rain continued in the morning as well, resulting in water-logging in low-lying areas, including Gandhi Market.

Waterlogging was also reported at Hindmata, Andheri Subway and in some parts of the Eastern Express Highway, Mumbai-Gujarat highway and the Eastern Freeway.

The Mithi river in Mumbai swelled after continuous heavy rain for the last few days and as a result, some areas along its banks witnessed water-logging, according to officials.

A video of the Mithi river, possibly shot from a bridge near the Powai lake, showed the furious flow of the water.

"In Mumbai, the rain continues unabated, with an average of more than 150 mm of rainfall recorded from 4 AM to 11 AM today. The suburbs have seen even higher amounts. The water level of the Mithi River has risen to 3.9 meters, and 350 residents from Kurla Krantinagar have been relocated to safer places," the CMO said in a post on X.

"Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is continuously reviewing the situation, and the Municipal Commissioner is keeping a close watch on the circumstances," it added.

"Due to the excessive rains, the BMC officials have shifted some 300 persons to safer locations as a precautionary measure," Deputy CM Shinde told reporters.

"Mumbai and MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region) received heavy rainfall. I spoke to BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagarani who told me that in six hours, nearly 200 mm rainfall was recorded in Mumbai. In 24 hours, the downpour was 300 mm. I came here to review the Mithi river's situation. Its bed has swollen and officials are working to ease the flow," he said.

As many as 525 pumps, 10 mini pumping stations and six main pumping stations were operational to drain out the water, Shinde said. PTI KK ND DC SP MR IAS ARU KRK GK