Torrential rains paralyse Mumbai, heavy rain likely to continue today, rail traffic affected

Heavy overnight rains lashed Mumbai and districts in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, seriously disrupting road and rail traffic, and affecting movement of people manning essential services, officials said in Mumbai on Wednesday.

According to IMD, the city recorded over 12.20 cms rain while the suburbs notched over 27.50 cms rain most of it during the night.

The IMD Mumbai has forecast another wet day with heavy rain as the civic authorities urged people to avoid stepping out unless necessary.

Heavy water-logging was reported from the traditional flood-prone areas of central Mumbai like Sion, Matunga, Kurla, Chunabhatti, Mazagaon, Masjid Bunder and Byculla.

Besides several areas in the suburbs like Goregaon, Malad, Dahisar, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Mulund experienced waterlogging.

The Central Railway has suspended suburban services from Chhatapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Thane and Vashi. Special mail/express trains have been rescheduled, said CR Chief Spokesperson Shivaji Sutar.

Similarly, submerged tracks compelled the Western Railway to suspend all suburban services between Churchgate to Andheri.

"Heavy rains have been reported from Mumbai and Thane suburbs in last 12 hours with some places recording 150 mm plus rainfall," said KS Hosalikar, deputy director general of meteorology, IMD.

Mumbai's public bus service operator BEST has cancelled or diverted its operations in several routes.

On Wednesday morning, public transport services were hit and normal life affected in the financial capital due to heavy downpour and waterlogging.

Several streets and low-lying areas were waterlogged due to overnight rains and the road traffic was also badly hit, a civic official said. Some vehicles broke down in the water, affecting the traffic movement, he added.

Mumbai's municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has asked that all offices and establishments in the city, barring essential services, be shut on Wednesday due to the downpour and IMD's forecast of "heavy to very heavy rains" in the city.

A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) release said Chahal has also appealed Mumbaikars not to step out of their homes, unless it is an emergency.