Heavy downpour throws Mumbai out of gear, govt issues high alert; IMD warns of more showers

Mumbai: Torrential rains accompanied by strong winds lashed Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad and other parts of Maharashtra for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday, severely affecting normal life and disrupting rail, road and air services.

Thousands of vehicles were stranded on arterial roads in Mumbai in Lower Parel, Dadar, Kurla, Andheri, Khar West, Ghatkopar, Sion and Hindmata areas that were under knee to waist deep water for several hours, many having broken down.

The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that in one hour, Mumbai recorded a staggering 70 mm rainfall, while it touched 100 mm between 8.30 am and 1 pm.

Till 3 pm, the BMC said Mumbai received 106 mm rainfall in about six hours, while the eastern suburbs got 78.5 mm and the western suburbs notched 85 mm during the same period.

The BMC appealed to people not to step out of their home unless absolutely necessary, while the entire civic force - Mumbai Police, Fire Brigade and other agencies - were on high alert to combat the situation.

Schools and colleges have been ordered shut following forecast of heavy rainfall, Education Minister Vinod Tawde said.

Flight operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport saw delay and disruptions since morning. Till evening, the airport saw six flight cancellations, 10 go-arounds and 10 diversions, airport sources said, as per PTI.

The Central Railway mainline was completely suspended for over four hours, Harbour Line was completely down, the Western Railway worked slowly and erratically, while there were disruptions on the Konkan Railway.

The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rains for entire Konkan region during the next 24 hours owing to a 'low pressure' area over south Gujarat-Madhya Pradesh, which was expected to be upgraded to a 'deep depression'.

Mumbai IMD head KS Hosalikar said that heavy to very heavy rains for at least the next 24 hours all over Maharashtra was forecast, especially over Mumbai and other parts of the state.

The IMD warning says "intense precipitation likely to occur over Mumbai city, suburbs, Dahanu and Raigad during the latter part today (Tuesday)," as per IANS. 

All the gurudwaras, several Hindu and Jain temples, Ganeshotsav marquees, mosques and dargahs, churches, Parsi organisations, NGOs, charitable institutions, housing complexes and individuals made arrangements to offer food and beverages to the weary and stranded commuters and arrangements to rest for the night.

Meanwhile, Prime Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the situation arising due to incessant rains and promised all possible support from the Centre.

Spoke to Maharashtra CM @Dev_Fadnavis on the situation arising due to incessant rain in Mumbai & surrounding areas. @CMOMaharashtra — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 29, 2017

Centre assures all possible support to the Government of Maharashtra in mitigating the situation due to heavy rains in parts of the state. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 29, 2017

Urge the people of Mumbai and surrounding areas to stay safe & take all essential precautions in the wake of the heavy rain. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 29, 2017

In the wake of warnings issued by #IMD people in Mumbai and areas around #Mumbai are advised to stay back home unless there is an emergency. — CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) August 29, 2017

However, the essential services and critical staff in the Government will be on duty tomorrow. — CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) August 29, 2017

If you are stuck on the road , kindly dial 100 or contact us on Twitter. We will assist you  — Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) August 29, 2017

(With Agency inputs)