A precautionary public holiday was declared for the city, Mumbai Suburban and Thane district this morning.
People took to Twitter to share their experiences. Concerns about the environment run high, especially after news of the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) implementing a 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project that could destroy as many as 54,000 mangroves.
The rainfall during the 24-hour period before 8.30 am in Mumbai on Tuesday was 375.2 mm, the highest since the July 26, 2005 Maharashtra floods, IMD (India Meteorological Department) officials said.
Besides the 2005 Mumbai deluge, the highest rainfall on a single day recorded by the Santa Cruz observatory in the metropolis was on July 5, 1974. The rainfall recorded on that day was also 375.2 mm.
During the monsoon, which brings heavy rains from June to September causing flooding and other damage, building collapses are eerily common as the rains weaken the foundations of poorly built structures.
Heavy rainfall caused two separate walls to collapse in Mumbai and Kalyan on Tuesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring over 50, as forecasters warned of more rains.
In Pune's Ambegaon area, a college compound wall collapsed on shanties adjoining the wall killing at least six labourers and injuring four.
Other good Samaritans tweeted to inform people that doors were open for whoever needs to shelter themselves from the incessant rains.
Last week, the city witnessed an eerily similar incident when a wall collapse in Kondhwa claimed the lives of over 15 labourers and their kin.
Five months ago, the residents of Alcon Stylus in Kondhwa had cautioned the developer of the housing complex about the dangerous condition of the retaining wall of one of the buildings which was tilting outward, but to no avail. Yesterday, the Pune Municipal Corporation, suspended the registration of two firms in connection with the incident, Alcon Landmarks and Kunal Housing Enterprises, and has also issued show cause notices to them.
Some questioned the state of affairs, and the lack of a proper drainage system in the country's financial capital.
Twitterati also commented on leading nutrition and exercise science expert Rujuta Diwekar's tweet on how her team made it to work 'irrespective of rain or shine', saying that they should stop treating it 'as some big achievement'.
Nonetheless, Mumbaikars persevere, and some manage to keep their spirits high come rain or shine.
