After terrible Tuesday, Mumbai gets relief from heavy showers; local trains back on track

Mumbai: A day after facing monsoon fury, Mumbai saw respite from torrential rains on Wednesday as the metropolis slowly limped back to normalcy with its lifeline – local trains — springing back to life, and schools and offices opening for regular functioning.

Intermittent showers lashed Mumbai overnight, but the rain intensity reduced as the day progressed, putting life back on track, a day after heavy rains battered the financial capital, submerging roads, rail tracks and leading to flight and train disruptions.

Local train services on the Central Railway’s Harbour line (CSMT-Panvel route) resumed from 3 am Wednesday after 15 hours of disruption, bringing relief for commuters, while schools and colleges opened after a rain-enforced holiday.

All public transport services in Mumbai, including local trains, resumed normal operations in the morning, a day after the torrential rains crippled normal life, officials said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an ‘orange alert’ of heavy showers for Mumbai for Wednesday, and predicted the intensity of rainfall in the metropolis will go down from Thursday.

Mumbai’s Santacruz observatory, representative of the western suburbs, recorded 200 mm rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am, as per the IMD data.

“The Colaba observatory in south Mumbai received 107.4 mm rain, whereas the Santacruz observatory in the western suburbs reported 209 mm during the 24-hour period,” an IMD official informed.

Other areas in the metropolis also witnessed intense showers. Vikhroli received 229.5 mm rain, Mumbai airport 208 mm, Byculla 193.5 mm, Juhu 150 mm and Bandra 137.5 mm of rainfall between Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

The metropolis received an average rainfall of more than 100 mm in the 22-hour period ending at 6 am on Wednesday, civic officials said.

The island city recorded an average downpour of 131.51 mm, eastern suburbs 159.66 mm and the western suburbs 150.60 mm, they said.

On Tuesday evening, 782 passengers were rescued after two overcrowded Monorail trains on elevated tracks got stuck between stations in Mumbai on a day of torrential rains.

Local train services on the Harbour line resumed as water receded on tracks. Suburban services on the CR’s Main line, between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai and Thane stations, were restored on Tuesday evening after remaining suspended for eight hours.

Trains were operational on all CR lines, a spokesperson said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a statement, said local train services on the central, western and Harbour lines, and the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking’s bus services were operating smoothly.

The BMC stated its entire machinery was on the ground and working round-the-clock to monitor the situation and respond swiftly in case of any emergencies.

“All departments are on alert mode and prepared to take necessary measures if required,” the statement said.

A man died after falling into a water-filled quarry while an inundated bridge in Kalyan area was closed after heavy rains adjoining Thane district, officials said on Wednesday.

Palghar district also witnessed heavy overnight showers, flooding low-lying areas and disrupting movement at several locations, they said.

A tree collapsed at a housing society in the Wagle Estate area at around 3.40 am on Wednesday, leaving the adjoining security wall unstable, Thane Municipal Corporation’s disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said.

In Palghar, low-lying areas were inundated, and rescue teams, including from the NDRF, relocated several residents to safer places and temporary camps, disaster management cell chief Vivekanand Kadam said.

With heavy rains over the past few days causing flood-like situation in parts of Maharashtra, state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal has urged the Devendra Fadnavis government to declare a “wet drought” and provide urgent assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare to the affected farmers.

Incessant rains over the past few days in various parts of the state, including capital Mumbai and its metropolitan region, threw life out of gear. Hundreds of people had to be shifted to safety due to flooding, which also damaged crops on a large scale.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Sapkal said due to the recent downpour, floodwaters have entered agricultural lands, severely damaging standing crops.

“It is estimated that more than 15 lakh acres of farmland across the state has suffered extensive damages,” he said.

Around 17 districts in Marathwada, Vidarbha and Western Maharashtra regions have been worst hit, while North Maharashtra and Konkan regions have also reported significant losses, he stated.

Major crops, such as jowar, bajra, urad, maize, soybean, moong, cotton, tur, fruits and vegetables, have suffered extensive damages, while sugarcane cultivated on thousands of hectares of land has also been affected, he added.

“The already distressed farmers are now facing yet another natural calamity,” Sapkal maintained.

While the government has issued orders to conduct crop damage assessments (panchnamas), he urged the state to set aside all rules, conditions, and procedures in this time of crisis and immediately extend financial assistance to farmers.

On Tuesday, the CM told reporters that crops spread across 12 to 14 lakh acres of land have been damaged due to heavy rains.