Amidst the incessant heavy rainfall in Mumbai, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Monday and Tuesday. Considering the safety of citizens, Bhushan Gagrani, Municipal Commissioner and Administrator of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), declared a holiday for all schools and colleges on August 18th.
The BMC has appealed to citizens to venture out only if absolutely necessary. For any assistance or official information, citizens can contact the BMC's main control room at the 1916 helpline number.
The continuous heavy rain has led to waterlogging in several parts of Mumbai, affecting traffic. Low-lying areas in Dadar, Matunga, Juhu, Byculla, Andheri, Santacruz, Kurla, Sion, Bhandup, Vikhroli, Ghatkopar, Malad, and Goregaon are submerged due to the incessant rainfall. The Andheri subway has been closed due to water accumulation of two to two and a half feet. The administration has advised people to remain vigilant and heed the IMD alerts.
Mumbai's lifeline, the local trains, are also running behind schedule. Tracks near Kurla and Sion stations are submerged, impacting train speeds. Suburban rail services are delayed by 15 to 20 minutes.
Swapnil Dhanraj Nila, CPRO of Central Railway, stated, “The speed of trains from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus towards Kalyan, Kasara, and Karjat has slowed down due to the rain, causing delays of 8-10 minutes on both up and down lines on the main line. Additionally, there is waterlogging in Kurla, Chembur, and Chunabhatti areas on the Harbour line… Harbour line trains are delayed by 12-15 minutes, and Trans Harbour trains by 6-7 minutes… Constant monitoring is underway to prevent any problems.”
After heavy rainfall throughout Sunday night, the intensity increased further on Monday morning. In just one hour from 9 am today, an average of 37 mm, 39 mm, and 29 mm of rainfall was recorded in the eastern and western suburbs of Mumbai respectively. Officials reported that Chembur in the eastern suburbs received the highest rainfall at 65 mm, while Shivaji Nagar recorded 50 mm in one hour.
