Heavy rains continue unabated in Mumbai, local trains delayed; more downpour predicted

MUMBAI: Mumbaikars had no respite from heavy rains which continued to lash the city for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday, delaying local train services on the Central Railway route following a wall collapse on a track, officials said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall in the city and suburbs with very heavy to extremely heavy rains very likely at isolated places on Thursday.

The IMD has also predicted the possibility of occasional strong winds reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph, a civic official said.

While there was no water-logging on rail tracks in Mumbai, a small portion of a wall collapsed between Masjid and Sandhurst Road stations in south Mumbai on the down (north-bound) track of the Harbour Line, affecting train operations on the route for some time, a Central Railway official said.

The suburban services were delayed by a few minutes, due to heavy rainfall in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane district, he said.

The Western Railway said its "train services were running normal", but some passengers complained of trains on the route running late by a few minutes and overcrowding in coaches.

The island city (south Mumbai) received 82 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours, while the eastern and western suburbs received 109 mm and 106 mm downpour, respectively, a civic official said.

There was no major water-logging anywhere in the city, barring some low-lying areas like the Andheri subway, sources said.

Due to good rainfall in the catchment areas of reservoirs supplying water to the city, their levels improved up to 19 per cent on Thursday morning, a civic official said.

No relief was expected anytime soon as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rainfall alert for several parts of Maharashtra, including the financial capital, for the next two days.

Amid the downpour, three persons, including a 15-year-old boy, were injured in a landslide that hit a 'chawl' (old row tenements) in the Chunabhatti area, a civic official said.

A portion of a hill crashed on the two-storey Narayan Hadke chawl around 10.30 am, the official said, adding three rooms were also damaged in the landslide.

Mumbaikars continued to face hardship due to flooding on roads which slowed down vehicular traffic and affected normal life.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who took charge just a week ago, chaired a meeting of officials, where he asked them to remain alert and take necessary steps to ensure that there is no loss of life during the monsoon.

On Tuesday too, Shinde had presided over a meeting to take stock of the rain situation in the state and also visited the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) disaster management control room.

At Wednesday's meeting, Shinde directed Railway authorities and the BMC administration to appoint a nodal officer for coordination between them and for dissemination of information about water-logging and disruption of suburban train services in Mumbai, a statement from the chief minister's office (CMO) said.

During the meeting held for reviewing preparedness for dealing with any eventuality arising out of the monsoon, the CM asked the railway machinery to remain alert and coordinate with the BMC, said the statement.

All efforts must be taken to ensure that citizens do not face any hardships during the rains, he said while directing the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking and the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to keep their fleet of buses on standby.

"The entire government machinery should ensure that there was no loss of lives during the monsoon," the statement quoted the CM as saying.

Shinde asked the administration to keep a watch on flood-like situation in different parts of the state.

A landslide also occurred on a road leading to the Pratapgad Fort in western Maharashtra's Satara district following heavy rains.

There was no report of any casualty, Public Works Department's executive engineer, Sanjay Sonawane, said.

IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said an off-shore trough lies across the Gujarat and Maharashtra coast and low pressure over west Madhya Pradesh, resulting in heavy rainfall over Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The IMD has issued a 'red alert' for south Konkan, Goa and south central Maharashtra from July 6-8.

It said heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely at a few places with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places during this period.

It issued an 'orange alert' for north Konkan.

For north-central Maharashtra, east Vidarbha and west Vidarbha, the IMD issued a 'yellow alert' for Wednesday and orange for Thursday and Friday.

There was a 'yellow alert' for the Marathwada region, forecasting heavy rainfall till July 8.

The MeT department issues four colour-coded predictions based on the prevailing weather systems.

The green colour indicates no warning, yellow is to keep a watch, orange is to stay alert, while red means a warning and that action needs to be taken.

Several parts of the state have been witnessing heavy rainfall since July 4.

In many parts, rivers have been flowing near the danger mark and low-lying areas have been inundated.

Central and Western Railway officials said local trains, considered Mumbai's lifeline, were operating as per schedule, but some commuters claimed they were slightly little.

A spokesperson of the BEST Undertaking said their bus services were diverted on two dozen routes at six locations.

Mumbai is likely to witness another wet day as the IMD has predicted moderate to heavy rain in the city and suburbs, with a possibility of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places, in the next 24 hours, according to civic officials.

In the 24-hour period ended at 8 am on Wednesday, the island city (south Mumbai) received an average 107 mm rainfall, while the eastern and western suburbs recorded 172 mm and 152 mm downpour, respectively, a civic official said.

While lakes in the city were filling up because of incessant rains, there was no end to woes of citizens as many low-lying places like Hindmata, and areas in Dadar and Sion, including the Gandhi Market, were inundated, forcing pedestrians to wade through water and making driving difficult for motorists.

"Flooding in Sion, Matunga, Dadar. Need a boat instead of car to commute," a city resident tweeted.

Water-logging was reported near the Neelam Junction, Deonar, Mankhrud railway bridge, Everard Nagar, Antop Hill, Chembur, Dadar T T Junction, Hindmata junction, Sakkar Panchayat, Wadala, Kings Circle, Matunga, Kurla Kamani area and some other places, due to which traffic movement was slow, a police official said.

At least 12 hamlets were cut off after a bridge got flooded due to heavy rains in Palghar district, located adjoining Mumbai, an official said.

According to authorities, the Pandartara bridge, which connects Usgaon in Vasai taluka, was inundated because of incessant rainfall in the region.

Rain-related incidents were also reported in Thane district.

A 73-year-old woman was injured when a portion of a protection wall on the third floor of ESIS hospital collapsed around 1 pm in the Wagle Estate area of Thane city, said Avinash Sawant, chief of the Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC).

In another incident, boulders crashed on the Mumbra bypass road in Thane disrict around 1 pm, but no one was injured, he added.In Satara district, the famous Mahabaleshwar hill station witnessed heavy rains on Tuesday.

It recorded 197 mm downpour in the 24-hour period ended at 8 am on Wednesday, an official said.