Heavy rains slow down Mumbai pace

Two die due to electrocution Many schools remain shut.

Mumbai: Barely a week into the monsoon on Friday, Mumbai and surroundings were paralysed as heavy rains lashed these areas since Thursday evening, while torrential rains slowed down other parts of Maharashtra, officials said here. The incessant rains claimed two deaths with a five-year-old and a sixty-year-old losing their lives after they were electrocuted in Sion-Koliwada. Many schools remained shut on Friday after a direction by Mumbai municipal commissioner.

Mumbai city recorded around 283 mm and suburbs averaged around 209 mm rainfall since Thursday. There were reports of tree crashes, road cave-ins, vehicles submerged in rainwaters, power failures, traffic snarls on the Western and Eastern Express Highways, waterlogging at both ends of several flyovers and the Eastern Freeway. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rainfall in Mumbai, coastal Konkan and other parts over the next two-three days accompanied by strong winds touching 60 knots and very rough seas," said V.K. Rajeev, the director of weather forecast at IMD, Mumbai. The rains hit hard the lifelines of Mumbai -- the suburban railway network -- with waterlogging on railway tracks, preventing office-goers from commuting to and from their homes and workplaces. While the Central Railway (CR) and Harbour Line, and Western Railway (WR) managed to start a few services for the day in the early hours, they were delayed and later suspended in the city, rail officials and the BMC Disaster Cell said. However, services continued on the mainland beyond Thane, Karjat-Kasara and Panvel sections of Central Railway and beyond Vasai on Western Railway.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday visited the state and Brihanmumbai municipal corporation (BMC) Disaster Cells to take stock of the situation and discussed precautionary and relief measures with top officials. "Almost four metres high tide expected around 2.00 p.m. today ... Appealing everyone to avoid going near the sea. Please avoid going out of homes... Be safe!" Fadnavis tweeted soon after, terming it as a major challenge before the authorities.