India’s financial capital Mumbai faced large-scale disruption as the southwest monsoon marked its entry in the entire coastal Konkan region of Maharashtra on Wednesday.
Mumbai recorded an average 165-plus mm rainfall during the day which resulted in inundation in several chronic spots like Sion, Chunabhatti, Hindmata, Dadar, Kings Circle, Govandi, Chembur, Andheri, Dahisar, Kurla and Malad.
The suburban train services of Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) were badly affected for the day as rainwater coupled with hightide compounded the situation.
Because of waterlogging on the road, BEST bus services too were badly affected.
The departures/arrivals at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, were, however, normal.
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Serpentine queues were witnessed at the taxi and autorickshaw stands, bus stops and crowd in suburban stations – leading to Covid-19 protocols going for a toss.
At the time of going to Press, the Mithi River was flowing over the danger mark – and people along the hutments on the edge has been moved to safety.
Besides the twin districts of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban the neighbouring Mumbai Metropolitan Region districts of Palghar, Thane and Raigad too received heavy overnight rainfall.
As the water level rose, in several places four-wheelers and two-wheelers broke down.
In Mumbai-MMR, traffic moved at snail’s place at Western Express Highway, Eastern Express Highway, Ghodbunder Road, Linking Road, Swami Vivekananda Road.
After reviewing the Konkan situation, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray visited the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation’s disaster management control room.
“Thackeray directed the administration to ensure that the accumulated rainwater is drained out at the earliest and transport is resumed,” the CMO said.
CR spokesperson Shivaji Sutar said that due to waterlogging near Chunabhatti station all services on the Harbour Line between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Vashi in Navi Mumbai were suspended.
Similarly, due to flooded tracks near Kurla, the mainline services between Thane-CSMT were suspended, though the CR operated shuttles between Thane-Karjat, Thane-Kasara and Vashi-Panvel sectors.
WR spokesperson Sumit Thakur said that due to waterlogging at Wadala station, all Harbour Line trains on the Andheri-CSMT routes were suspended till further notice, and water pumps were deployed to drain out the excess water from the railway tracks.
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar blamed railways for the train disruption. “The BMC is not getting support from the railways on cleaning the tracks before monsoon,” she said.
“Railways is committed to working in close coordination with the BMC for running train services for our esteemed passengers. And hence, we refute the statement given Mayor,” the CR said in a tweet.
The IMD has issued a heavy rainfall forecast. “Extremely severe weather warnings issued by IMD for Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra especially for Mumbai Thane Palghar Raigad for today. Mumbai already received 220.6mm rainfall at 5.30 pm since morning. Flooding at few places in the city. Mumbai 11-13 June possibility of 200mm+ rainfall predicted by IMD,” said KS Hosalikar, Head, Climate Research and Services, Pune.