Heavy rainfall continues in Mumbai & Konkan region

Heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds wreaked havoc in Mumbai as it paralysed the road and rail traffic in India’s business capital for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.

The deluge brought alive the memories of the July 26, 2006 floods in Mumbai, when the city came to a standstill for 3 days.

Heavy to very heavy rains are likely to continue in the coastal Konkan belt for the next 24 to 48 hours, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre of the IMD.

The entire Mumbai metropolitan region was affected as waterlogging was reported in most of the arterial roads and strong winds uprooted over 100 trees and damaged signboards.

Water gushed into low lying areas in several parts of the MMR and vehicles were stranded in the evening.

Water was flowing over some of the railway platforms in Mumbai City district.

Locals attributed it to the ongoing work on the Mumbai metro rail and coastal road projects, though officials declined to comment on it.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray reviewed the situation and asked the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to be on high alert.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Thackeray to have an assessment of the ground situation.

“Since IMD has forecast heavy rains will continue till Thursday, I appeal to the citizens of Mumbai to stay home and venture out only if essential,” Thackeray said.

The chief minister also reviewed the rain situation in Konkan districts of Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg and Western Maharashtra district of Kolhapur.

Fifteen NDRF teams have been deployed including four in Kolhapur and five in Mumbai.

The IMD’s Colaba observatory has recorded 229.6 mm rainfall in nine hours ending 7 pm. “ Intense rainfall will continue,” said KS Hosalikar, deputy director-general of meteorology, IMD.

The MMR, on an average, on Wednesday, recorded 150 to 200 mm rainfall.

In Masjid Bunder in Mumbai, people were rescued using life boats.

Major landmarks like the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)’s Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Tower suffered the rain's fury when its massive signboard on the 29th floor was ripped off because of gusty winds. Some sections of a cement cladding adorning the exteriors of the Jaslok Hospital were blown off and fell in pieces on the road below. Water gushed into some of the corridors of the Sir JJ Hospital at Byculla.

In Mumbai, the road and suburban rail services continued to be badly disrupted for the second consecutive day.

In a rare event, many parts of south Mumbai like Churchgate, Marine Lines, Marine Drive, Kalbadevi, Dongri, Byculla, Mazagaon witnessed waterlogging – which otherwise does not see flooding.

The chronic spots of Parel, Dadar, Chembur, Andheri, Jogeshwari and surrounding areas witnessed heavy water logging throwing the central business districts of the area out of gear.

Central Railway suburban train services which functioned normally were suspended between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-Kurla on the mainline and CSMT-Vashi on the Harbour Line after a torrential downpour, CR spokesperson Shivaji Sutar.

Western Railway services between Churchgate-Mumbai Central, suburban trains were suspended for a few hours and all trains were being reversed from Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra and Andheri.

In the MMR more than 200 trees were uprooted and big branches broke off. Electric poles too were damaged.

In some areas, water rushed into ground-floor homes, shops or offices in south Mumbai as rains continued all day.

Major traffic snarls were witnessed in south Mumbai with tree crashes on some roads in Churchgate, Marine Lines, Charni Road, Fort, Worli, and the vehicular movements were hit on the Eastern Express Highway, Western Express Highway, Sion-Panvel Road, Ghodbunder Road, Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway.

With thousands of commuters getting stranded, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) this evening said it had made arrangements for them at the nearest civic schools outside major railway stations.

People staying in slums along the rivers of Mumbai like Mithi, Oshiwara, Poisar and Dahisar have been asked to be on alert.