Mumbai Rains: Normal Life Crippled For Third Time This Monsoon, Schools to Remain Shut Today as More Downpours Expected
For the third time this monsoon, heavy rains paralysed normal life across Mumbai, disrupting road and rail traffic and flight operations on Wednesday. According to the India Meteorological Department, more downpours are expected in city and suburbs today.
Mumbai, September 5: For the third time this monsoon, heavy rains paralysed normal life across Mumbai, disrupting road and rail traffic and flight operations on Wednesday. Waterlogging in low-lying areas of Mumbai following incessant rains severely affected vehicular movement and local train services on all three lines - Central, Harbour and Western. According to the India Meteorological Department, more downpours are expected in city and suburbs today. Schools and junior colleges in Mumbai, Thane and Konkan region will remain shut today in view of the forecast of heavy rains.
Though Mumbai started receiving afresh spell of rains since Monday, rainfall intensified on Wednesday morning, leaving low-lying areas such as Sion, Wadala, Dadar, Parel, Kings Circle, Matunga, Chunabhatti and in suburbs Andheri, Jogeshwari, Santacruz, Malad, Borivali, Mulund, Bhandup, Kanjurmarg, Vikhroli, Kurla and surroundings flooded in one or three feet and more water. In several places, vehicles were stranded in the floodwaters forcing their occupants to abandon them. Mumbai Rains: BMC Makes Temporary Shelters For Those Stranded Amid Heavy Rainfall, Check List Here.
Local train services on Central, Harbour and Western lines continued to function with hiccups. However, by noon, authorities had to suspend local and long-distance services due to heavy waterlogging on railway tracks at different locations. Though local train services between Churchgate-Vasai was restored in the evening, services between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-Thane and Vashi remained suspended till late evening. Mumbai Rains: BMC's 'Don’t Believe in Any Rumours' Post on Twitter Leaves Netizens Confused.
Vehicular movement was affected on Mumbai-Goa Highway, Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Ghodbunder Road, Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway, Mumbai-Navi Mumbai Road, and other roads. Total chaos reigned on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) and Western Express Highway (WEH), main roads and arterial roads with waterlogging in many areas like Mulund, Bhandup, Vikhroli, Ghatkopar, Kurla, Sion, Kings Circle, Wadala, Chunabhatti, and Bandra, Santacruz, Vile Parle, Andheri, Jogeshwari, Malad, Kandivali, Borivali and Dahisar.
While reports said around 20 flights were cancelled and 280 affected by delays, go-arounds etc, due to heavy rains and fluctuating visibility conditions, Mumbai International Airport Ltd officials said the operations were "near-normal". As transportation services remained affected throughout the day, the BMC made arrangements for stranded commuters at various locations near railway stations where they could spend the night with the railways and NGOs making arrangements for food and snacks.
A "red alert" was also issued for Mumbai and surrounding districts which could be lashed by very heavy rains over the next two-three days. As a precautionary measure, the Maharashtra government also declared a holiday for all public and private schools. Earlier, Mumbai had been brought to a standstill on July 2/3 and August 3/4 when heavy rains clobbered the city, claiming nearly three dozen lives in various rain-related incidents.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2019 12:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).