Political slugfest breaks out as first monsoon showers in Mumbai bring misery

Mumbai, May 26 (PTI) The early arrival of the monsoon triggered a political slugfest in Maharashtra on Monday with the ruling Mahayuti bloc blaming the sudden downpour for Mumbai's waterlogging, while the opposition accused the government of failing to prepare the city despite heavy spending.

The political sparring intensified with a sharp jab from opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, who said "the Metro line was aptly named Aqua, since it is under water today." His comment came after operations on Mumbai's new Metro Line 3 (Aqua) were suspended due to heavy rains inundating an underground station. Another opposition party, the Congress, said despite spending crores of rupees, the government has failed to clean Mumbai, improve roads, or fix the drainage system.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, however, attributed the flooding of Mumbai's low-lying areas, which led to disruption of road and railway traffic, to the early arrival of southwest monsoon and bringing over 200 mm of rainfall in a short span.

"This was like a cloudburst due to the intensity of the rain," the Deputy Chief Minister told reporters and pointed out that areas like Nariman Point in south Mumbai received 252 mm of rainfall in just 12 hours, far exceeding the expected 50-55 mm.

He admitted that pre-monsoon work, planned for completion by June 10, was caught off guard by the early onset, which typically occurs in Mumbai on June 11.

The normal onset date for the southwest monsoon in Mumbai is June 11, but it reached the metropolis on May 26, marking the earliest arrival in 75 years.

"It is a fact that the rains have arrived early and this has caused chaos," Shinde said, adding pumps would now operate at full swing in low-lying areas to flush out rainwater.

"We know that the rains will arrive after June 6 and preparations are done accordingly. We don't deny that some things have happened....," he added.

Shinde, who also serves as the Urban Development Minister and guardian minister for Mumbai City, said major drains (nullahs) are still being cleaned and claimed water had been drained from affected areas such as Hindmata, Milan Subway, Andheri, Ghatkopar, and Sion.

He assured that a pre-monsoon disaster management meeting involving state and central government agencies like BMC, PWD, MMRDA, Railways, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and NDRF had been held, and the system was alert to minimise public impact.

However, the opposition launched a scathing attack with Thackeray, a former minister, criticising the state government. He said Mumbai's civic body (BMC) had never been in such a precarious situation, implying it would worsen under BJP control.

"This is not the first rain of the season that has hit Mumbai. We have been saying for the past two months to clean the nullahs. The civic body should have held a monsoon meeting. Where is the person who calls himself a visionary, infra man?" Thackeray said while taking a dig at his arch rival Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena.

Senior Congress leader Nana Patole said the present situation of Mumbai was due to the "reckless governance" of the ruling Mahayuti, which consists of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP.

He termed the waterlogging in Mantralaya, the state secretariat in south Mumbai, not a "natural disaster" but a "warning" and a reflection of the government's "apathy." Patole further alleged that despite crores of rupees spent, the government has failed to clean Mumbai, improve roads, or fix the drainage system, with funds being "siphoned off" on the pretext of cleaning rivers.

He also criticised the government for its perceived indifference to farmers suffering from unseasonal rains.

NCP (SP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto joined the criticism, expressing shame at the state of Mumbai, "India's financial capital," given India's claim as the world's fourth-largest economy.

He demanded an apology from the BJP-led Maharashtra government, which has been managing the BMC, which is without elected representatives since 2022, for over three years.

The operations of Mumbai's Metro Line 3 ('Aqua Line') were suspended as heavy rains inundated an underground station in Worli Naka. Viral videos showed waterlogging inside the station premises, including platforms, ticketing bay and surrounding areas.

One of the videos showed rainwater leaking along the escalators, while the false ceiling inside the station lay collapsed, and some machinery is seen lying scattered.

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), in a statement, attributed the inundation to "sudden and intense rainfall" causing water seepage at an under-construction entry/exit structure of Acharya Atrey Chowk station.

An "RCC (reinforced cement concrete) water-retaining wall constructed at entry/exit collapsed due to a sudden ingress of water from an adjoining utility," according to the statement.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Thackeray questioned the timing of the flooded station's inauguration, which took place just two weeks ago.

However, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde defended the inauguration, arguing the Metro Line's work had been completed.

"If you don't start it, you will say why Metro was not inaugurated when it is complete," he countered. PTI PR MR SKL RSY