100 mm of rainfall in 10 hours inundates Mumbai

Mumbai: Mumbai and its suburbs received over 100 mm of rainfall in ten hours till Sunday evening, inundating roads in many areas, diverting flights, and affecting local train traffic on a Central Railway section between Dadar and Matunga stations due to water-logging.

Mumbai city recorded 100 mm of rainfall in ten hours between 8 am and 6 pm, while eastern and western suburbs received a rainfall of 118 mm and 110 mm, respectively, officials said. A total of 36 flights were cancelled at the Mumbai airport and 15 flights, including the ones operated by Air India, IndiGo and Akasa, were diverted to nearby airports, mainly Ahmedabad, till 4 pm, amid intermittent heavy spells of rain.

Heavy rains forced the facility operator to suspend runway operations twice during the day, for eight minutes at 12.12 pm and later from 1 pm to 1.15 pm, sources said. Local train services were delayed by 15 to 20 minutes on the Harbour Line due to waterlogging near Mankhurd, Panvel and Kurla stations, while services on the Western Railway section operated normally.

In the evening, the Central Railway services on the down fast line between Dadar and Matunga stations were affected. Additionally, water logging on tracks at Dadar on the Up and Down fast line compounded the problem, an official said.

A few buses were diverted because of flooding in many parts of the city. A traffic police official said Andheri Subway in DN Nagar was closed, and the southbound traffic was diverted via Gokhale Bridge and



northbound traffic via Thackeray Bridge due to water accumulation.

Meanwhile, in view of the heavy rainfall warning, the administration has declared a holiday for schools on Monday in Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts in Vidarbha region and four tehsils in Raigad district in the coastal belt of Maharashtra.

The IMD has predicted heavy rainfall, with the possibility of extremely heavy showers at isolated places in Nagpur and other districts of Vidarbha region on Monday and advised people not to step out of their homes unless necessary.

Heavy rains lashed Nagpur city and parts of the district on Saturday morning, disrupting normal life as water entered low-lying areas, prompting the authorities to move people to safer places.

Raigad district neighbouring Mumbai received copious rains on Saturday and Sunday, prompting district collector Kishan Jawale to issue an order declaring a holiday for government and private schools in Mangaon, Karjat, Poladpur and Mahad tehsils on Monday.

The order asked teachers and other non-teaching staff to report to schools and help the administration in relief and rescue operations necessitated by heavy rains over the last few days in Raigad district. As several parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai and the coastal Konkan region, received significant rainfall, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday directed officials to be on high alert.