Local train services on the Central Railway routes were severely disrupted and flight operations were also affected in Mumbai on Monday after heavy rains in the city, officials said.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared a holiday for the day for all the civic, government and private schools and colleges in the city to prevent inconvenience to students.
Waterlogging disrupts local trains
"The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Mumbai. Additionally, at 1.57 pm today, there will be a 4.40 m high tide in the sea," a BMC spokesperson told PTI on Monday.
Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer of the Central Railway (CR), said train services on the fast line of the main corridor between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai and neighbouring Thane were suspended due to waterlogging at various places. Suburban services were running on the slow line, he said.
Suburban services of the Central Railway were severely affected due to waterlogging of tracks on both the Main and Harbour corridors, authorities said.
Monsoon challenges commuters
Commuters complained that the operational suburban services were running late. The CR officials said due to heavy rain and high tide in Mumbai, local train movement in the suburban section was affected and asked people to avoid travelling unless unavoidable.
The Western Railway said suburban trains were running up to 10 minutes late because water was above the track level between Matunga Road and Dadar due to heavy showers.
"High capacity water pumps are being utilised to drain water away from the railway tracks to ensure a smooth commute for Mumbaikars," a Western Railway spokesperson told PTI.
Flight services halted
Heavy rains and low visibility led to the suspension of runway operations at the Mumbai airport from 2.22 am to 3.40 am on Monday and 27 diversions were reported, sources said.
Flights were diverted to cities such as Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Indore, among others, they said. Currently, priority is being given to arriving flights, the sources added.
Traffic affected amid heavy downpour
A spokesperson of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking said at least 40 bus routes in the city and suburbs were either diverted or curtailed due to waterlogging on roads at various locations.
Some areas in Mumbai received more than 300 mm rainfall from 1 am to 7 am Monday, BMC told PTI.
In the 24-hour period ending at 8 am on Monday, the island city recorded an average 115.63 mm rainfall, while the eastern and western parts of Mumbai received 168.68 mm and 165.93 mm rain, respectively, an official told PTI.
Govandi, Powai areas record highest rainfall
In eastern Mumbai, Govandi recorded the highest 315.6 mm rainfall, followed by 314.5 mm at Powai, while in western parts, Malpa Dongri in Andheri received the highest 292.2 mm rainfall followed by 278.2 mm at Chakala.
The IMD Mumbai in the morning predicted "generally cloudy sky with moderate to heavy rain in the city and suburbs" in the next 24 hours, the BMC said.
Thane bridge washed away
A bridge on Asangaon-Mahuri road was washed away while 54 persons were rescued after their houses were inundated due to very heavy rains in Maharashtra's Thane district in the last 24 hours, officials said on Monday.
At least 275 houses in different areas suffered damages and around 20 vehicles were swept away following the heavy downpour on Sunday, the district administration said in a release. The district received 65 mm rainfall on Sunday, it said.
Rescue missions help locals in Thane
Thane city recorded 120.87 mm rain in the 24-hour period ending at 6.30 am on Monday, local civic body's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi told PTI. The city received 45.98 mm of rain in just one hour between 3.30 am and 4.30 am on Monday, he said.
In Gotheghar area of Shahapur, water entered Wafa Nursery area where 38 occupants of three houses were rescued. In Vashind area, 12 persons were rescued and shifted to safer places after 125 houses were inundated, officials told PTI. There was no report of any loss of life and local talathis (revenue officers) have been instructed to speed up the panchnama (spot inspection) and report the losses, they said.