Mumbai traffic back on track after heavy rains; schools shut after IMD alert

Mumbai: Vehicular and rail traffic in Mumbai resumed on Thursday, a day after heavy rains battered the city, inundating low-lying areas, halting local trains in their tracks and forcing the diversion of at least 14 incoming flights. A 45-year-old woman drowned in a drain overflowing due to heavy rains in suburban Andheri on Wednesday, police said.

The police helped a woman, who was in her ninth month of pregnancy, reach a hospital in Ghatkopar after she was unable to find a vehicle to go there due to heavy rains at night, an official said.

Rains stopped in most parts of the city on Thursday morning though skies were overcast. Local trains, considered the lifeline of Mumbai, were running normally though some services were slightly delayed, as per officials. Buses of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking also hit the roads since early morning.

The India Meteorological Department earlier issued a red alert for Mumbai and its adjoining districts Thane, Palghar, and Raigad for Thursday morning. The civic body said the IMD has predicted "thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and heavy to very heavy rainfall with gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph" in its weather update issued at 8 am.

The extremely heavy rainfall in Mumbai on Wednesday prompted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to announce a holiday for all schools and colleges on Thursday. Schools and colleges in Thane, Palghar, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad were also closed on Thursday after heavy rains.

The Mumbai civic body and police have advised people in the city and surrounding areas to stay indoors as much as possible. “Mumbaikars, if not required, avoid stepping out of home,” the BMC posted on X. After heavy rains on Wednesday, some roads, including in Sonapur area of Bhandup, virtually turned into rivers of fast-moving water as several areas received more than 100 mm of rain in five hours of evening.

The Ghatkopar-Andheri Road, Khairani Road, LBS Marg and a few other roads were flooded with chest-deep water at some locations.

Many people complained their belongings were damaged as water had entered their homes. As local trains stopped on Wednesday between Kurla and Thane stations on the Central line, thousands of commuters were stranded at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai and other stations, while there were traffic jams at various places.

The Central Railway's suburban services were thrown out of gear at night for a few hours, when the railway tracks got submerged at a few locations between Sion and Thane stations on its main corridor and between Chunabhatti and Mankhurd stations on the Harbour corridor.

A Maharashtra Security Force personnel deputed at Kalachowki police station told PTI that he boarded a fast train from Thane station for Byculla (in Mumbai) at 8 pm on Wednesday and reached Chinchpokli station at 12.55 am (normally covered in 45 minutes).

Amid the showers, police helped a pregnant woman reach a hospital after she was unable to find a vehicle to go there.

"I appreciate the commendable work done by the Pant Nagar Pstn officials & staff who helped a 9-month pregnant lady reach the hospital safely," Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar said on his X handle.

"At 10.45 pm, due to heavy rains, the pregnant lady was unable to find a vehicle for hospital. Finding her in distress our patrolling Pant Nagar Mobile 1 van, helped her reach Rajawadi Hospital safely," he added.

The Mithi river along with other water bodies and drains had swelled after extremely heavy rains. On Wednesday night, the Mithi river rose to its maximum level of 3.90 metres.

On Thursday morning, it was flowing at 1.5 metres, the BMC said. In the 24 hour-period ending at 8 am on Thursday, the island city, eastern suburbs and western suburbs recorded 117.18 mm, 170.58 mm and 108.75 mm rainfall, respectively.

Between 5 pm and 10 pm, the island city, eastern suburbs and western suburbs received 87.79 mm, 167.48 mm, and 95.57 mm downpour, respectively. Mankhurd and Powai areas in eastern suburbs recorded more than 275 mm rains during the period, as per BMC data.

Mumbai municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani has asked all assistant commissioners to ensure that respective executive engineers stay put in ward control rooms. Central Railway's chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila said, "All local trains are running normally. On the main line 3-4 minutes behind schedule because of rescheduled Mail, Express (train) movements and few cautions. Rest all normal."

Western Railway's suburban services, which were mostly unaffected as there was no waterlogging on tracks anywhere between Churchgate and Virar stations, were also running normally since morning, an official said.

A BEST spokesperson also said their operations were normal, though 28 buses, including seven hired from private contractors, broke down due to waterlogging at some roads in the city.