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Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said the next 48 hours are critical even as Mumbai and its suburbs remained under ‘red alert’ for rainfall issued by the IMD
Work underway to rescue people from a flood affected area amid rainfall, at Kurla West in Mumbai on August 19. (Image: PTI)
Rivers rising, flooded streets, people evacuated on dinghies amid complete breakdown of road and rail transport – like every year, during the monsoon, Mumbai came to a standstill on Tuesday as it received a record rainfall of at least 300 mm.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the next 48 hours are critical even as Mumbai and its suburbs remained under ‘red alert’ for rainfall issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
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It was the second straight day of heavy downpour, which severely disrupted road and rail traffic as well as air connectivity. Commuters and vehicles were left stranded as they struggled to navigate inundated roads, with no respite from Mumbai’s lifeline – the local train network – as services were disrupted with tracks being submerged.
Here is all you need to know:
- A Monorail train with at least 200 passengers on board came to a halt due to apparent power failure between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park stations in Mumbai, with rescue operations underway for more than an hour. The passengers who were rescued said panic prevailed inside the train, which runs on an elevated track, with several people complaining of suffocation as the AC system shut down. The train came to a halt at around 6.15 pm and it was an hour before the rescue operation began. It suffered “a minor power supply issue”, Mumbai Monorail said in an initial press statement. Medical teams were present at the spot, and BEST buses have been provided to ferry rescued passengers.
- Rise in Mithi river levels triggered the evacuation of 400 to 500 people. The NDRF rescued a man, who was being swept away in the river at Filterpada in Powai, officials said. A video of the river, possibly shot from a bridge near the Powai lake, showed the furious flow of the water. As many as 525 pumps, 10 mini pumping stations and six main pumping stations were engaged in draining out rainwater, said Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
- Five NDRF teams have been deployed at Kranti Nagar, Kurla, and were carrying out rescue operations. After a weekly cabinet meeting, Fadnavis said Mumbai has witnessed a record rainfall of nearly 300 mm. On Monday (August 18), the city had received 170 mm rainfall in just eight hours.
- The IMD has 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 (August 20). It 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.
- Local train services between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai and Thane stations resumed in the evening, eight hours after the services were suspended due to submergence of tracks. The services on the main line of the Central Railway (CR) between CSMT and Thane, suspended at 11.30 am, resumed when a train departed from CSMT at 7.28 pm, a railway spokesperson said. The harbour line — between CSMT and Mankhurd — is still closed, he said. Earlier in the morning, the water rose up to eight inches above the tracks in Sion and Kurla sections, prompting the railway authorities to suspend train operations. Some long distance trains were also rescheduled or cancelled.
- At least eight flights were diverted and many were delayed at the Mumbai airport. Airlines informed passengers about flight delays, while low-visibility procedures were put in place intermittently. Six flights of IndiGo and one each of SpiceJet and Air India were diverted to nearby airports, including Surat, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.
- Schools, colleges, government and semi-government offices remained shut and the Bombay High Court functioned only till 12.30 pm.
- The BMC has appealed to all private establishments across Mumbai to allow their employees to work from home and avoid unnecessary travel.
- 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. Waterlogging was also reported at Hindmata, Andheri Subway and in some parts of the Eastern Express Highway, Mumbai-Gujarat highway and the Eastern Freeway.
- Shinde visited various affected areas to assess the situation following heavy rainfall in the city and adjoining Thane district. He was accompanied by MLA Dilip Lande, BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, additional commissioner for eastern suburbs Amit Saini, Thane municipal corporation commissioner Saurabh Rao, and senior officials and staff from both civic bodies. “I took a tour of Mumbai, visited the Mithi River and areas affected by landslides in Vikhroli Park Site and also went to Thane. BMC machinery is on high alert, with Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and other officials actively monitoring the situation in the field…” he said.
HOW MUCH RAIN DID MUMBAI RECEIVE?
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said Mumbai received 37 percent of its average August rainfall during the 54-hour period from 8.30 am on August 17 to 2.30 pm on Tuesday (August 19).
On Tuesday, Vikhroli East received 268 mm of rain, Marol 262 mm, Passpoli in Powai 257 mm, Versova 250 mm and Forsbery reservoir in F-South ward 220 mm between 4 am and 3 pm.
In the 24 hours ended 8.30 am on Tuesday, the western suburbs recorded the highest downpour with Chincholi fire station recording 361 mm of rain, Kandivali fire station 337 mm, Dindoshi municipal school 305 mm and Magathane bus depot 304 mm.
In the island city of south Mumbai, the rain gauges at Storm Water Drainage Workshop in Dadar and B Nadkarni municipal school in Wadala recorded 300 mm and 282 mm of rain during the same period.
(With agency inputs)
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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