Heavy rain affects life in Mumbai

Rains lashed Mumbai on Wednesday leading to water-logging and disruptions in suburban local train services, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced the onset of the southwest monsoon in Maharashtra.

As predicted by the IMD last week, heavy to very heavy rainfall began in all parts of Mumbai. The Regional Meteorological centre has predicted similar weather for the next five days in the coastal part of Maharashtra.

The area around Gandhi Market in Sion waterlogged after heavy rain in Mumbai. The first rain of this year's monsoon season in Mumbai on Wednesday caused water-logging in various parts of the city, prompting the traffic police to shut four subways and forcing motorists to abandon their vehicles on roads.

A man makes his way across flooded railway tracks during heavy rains in Mumbai. The Mumbai city police appealed to Mumbaikars not to step out of their homes unnecessarily, and cautioned them against travelling to some of the inundated areas.

Traffic stands at a stand still on a flooded road following heavy monsoon rains in Mumbai. While there were fewer vehicles on Mumbai roads amid the downpour, motorcyclists and other two-wheeler riders were unable to maneuver their vehicles at some of the flooded places.

Two men try to push a car that stopped working due to waterlogging, at Kings Circle, in Mumbai. With heavy rains causing water-logging in many areas in Mumbai on Wednesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray directed the administration to ensure that the accumulated rainwater is drained out at the earliest and transport resumed.

Vehicles make their way through the waterlogged road during heavy rain, at Kings Circle, in Mumbai. With heavy rains causing water-logging in many areas in Mumbai on Wednesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray directed the administration to ensure that the accumulated rainwater is drained out at the earliest and transport resumed.

A BMC worker stands near a manhole to guide people on a waterlogged road at Kings Circle in Mumbai. Local train services from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to neighbouring Thane and Vashi in Navi Mumbai were suspended due to water-logging on some railway tracks, officials said.

Shopkeepers in their shops on a waterlogged street at Hindmata in Mumbai. The Mumbai traffic police closed Milan, Khar, Andheri and Malad subways for motorists due to water-logging at these places.

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According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai received 181.01 mm rainfall in 12 hours from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday. According to the data, the city area received 137.82 mm rainfall while western and eastern suburbs received 190.78 mm and 214.44 mm rainfall respectively. A total of six instances of wall collapse were recorded but no injuries were reported.

Central Railway suspended its suburban local train traffic on the main line of CSTM to Thane at 9.55 a.m. on Wednesday due to inundation in Kurla and other areas. Similarly, train traffic was suspended on the CSTM-Mankhurd harbour line after the water level rose above four inches due to high rainfall and high tide.

The Railway said that it was working in coordination with BMC to control the situation. “High tide at 11.43 a.m. combined with high rainfall had led to flooding in the city and on railway tracks. All railway pumps at Chunabhatti, Sion and Kurla are working to pump out the water from tracks,” said the statement from Central Railway. It also had to reschedule several long journey trains due to flooding of tracks.

The rainfall intensity reduced after 6 p.m., but the IMD has said that heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted in the next five days.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray visited the disaster control room of the BMC on Wednesday, to check on the flood mitigation efforts.