Mumbai Rain Causes Disruptions: 50 Flights Cancelled, Train Services Affected, Schools Closed

Post by: Elena Malik

Photo : PTI

Heavy rain has wreaked havoc in Mumbai and its surrounding areas over the past 24 hours, causing widespread waterlogging and significant disruptions to suburban train services. Some areas in the city recorded over 300 mm of rainfall within six hours, from 1 am to 7 am on Monday, leading to severe challenges for daily commuters and residents.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and the Konkan belt, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall. Vikhroli's Veer Savarkar Marg Municipal School and MCMCR Powai experienced the highest rainfall in the last 24 hours, with over 315 mm recorded.

The downpour has also led to the cancellation of over 50 flights, with several airlines urging passengers to check flight statuses before heading to the airport. Visuals from across the city showed people wading through waist-deep water and cars stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

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All government, private, and municipal schools and colleges across the city have been shut. At Dombivli station, passengers waited for trains on submerged tracks, highlighting the severe impact on suburban train services. Waterlogging was reported in multiple areas, including Worli, Buntara Bhavan in Kurla East, King's Circle, Dadar, and Vidyavihar Railway Station. Over 30 lakh commuters rely on suburban local train services in Mumbai and neighboring Thane, Palghar, and Raigad every day.

Train services between Kasara and Titwala stations in Thane district were suspended after soil covered the tracks between Atgaon and Thansit stations, disrupting rail traffic on the busy Kalyan-Kasara route. Officials declared the tracks unsafe around 6:30 am, and several trains were diverted, rescheduled, or terminated due to waterlogging between Kalyan and Kasara stations.

Officials stated that if the rain stops for over two hours, the waterlogging will subside. However, the IMD has forecast heavy rain throughout the day, with sea waves expected to reach 4.4 meters at high tide around 2 pm.

The heavy rainfall and flash floods also damaged the track embankment on the Vasind-Khardi section between 3 am and 6 am, further complicating the situation. Several teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Thane, Vasai (Palghar), Mahad (Raigad), Chiplun (Ratnagiri), Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Ghatkopar, Kurla, and Sindhudurg to assist with rescue and relief operations.

The NDRF successfully rescued 49 people from a waterlogged resort in Thane and 16 villagers in Palghar, using boats and life jackets to ensure their safety amid the flooding.

As Mumbai grapples with the heavy rain, authorities are working tirelessly to manage the situation and provide assistance to those affected. The persistent rainfall continues to pose challenges, but efforts are underway to mitigate the impact and restore normalcy.

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