Heavy Rain Continues In Mumbai; Andheri Subway Shut Twice Due To Flooding

Moderate to heavy rains continued to lash Mumbai and its suburbs on Friday, which hit the road traffic in some parts due to waterlogging but boosted levels in lakes providing water to the city, while the local train operations remained largely unaffected, officials said.

A busy subway between Andheri and Jogeshwari railway stations of the Western Railway had to be kept shut for traffic twice during the day due to accumulation of water around it, they said.

Since the onset of southwest monsoon over Mumbai on June 25, the city has been getting heavy showers. As per the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) data, the city has received more than 95 per cent of the rainfall recorded this month in just six days - between June 24 and 29.

Incessant rainfall increased to the water level of seven lakes supplying water to the city. The aggregate water stock of these reservoirs was 7.26 per cent on June 28, which has now gone up to 10.88 per cent, they said.

The city civic body earlier announced that it would impose a 10 per cent water cut starting from Saturday in view of the dwindling stock.

In the 24 hours ending 8 am on Friday, Mumbai, its eastern suburbs and western suburbs received an average rainfall of 31 mm, 45 mm and 61 mm respectively, an official said.

The city has been getting moderate to heavy showers since early morning and the intensity of rainfall is more in the suburbs, which resulted in waterlogging at some locations, he said.

The Andheri subway had to be closed for traffic twice during the day due to waterlogging.

The police first closed the subway for traffic around 10.45 am and traffic was diverted to other routes. After the accumulated water receded, vehicular movement was resumed around 11.45 am. However, it was again shut for traffic around 3.40 pm, officials said.

"Due to waterlogging, Andheri Subway is closed, while traffic is diverted to Vile Parle bridge and Captain Gore Marg, SV road," Mumbai traffic police tweeted.

The suburban train services of the Central Railway and Western Railway were normal, the railway authorities said.

However, commuters on some routes, including the Central Railways' Harbour line that operates services between Panvel and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), complained of delay in train operations in the morning hours. Trains were running some minutes behind their regular schedule on the Main line of the Central Railway as well, some office-goers said.

A spokesperson of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) said that despite rains, none of its buses had to be diverted to alternative routes.

In its warning issued at 7.30 am, the IMD predicted moderate to intense spells of rain at isolated places in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane and Palghar districts over the next three to four hours.

"For the next 24 hours, the IMD Mumbai has predicted moderate rainfall in the city and its suburbs with the possibility of heavy rainfall at isolated places," a civic official said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said the useful water stock in seven reservoirs supplying water to the metropolis has increased to 10.88 per cent, which was 10.51 per cent on this day in 2022 and 17.81 per cent in 2021.

The seven reservoirs - Bhatsa, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Tansa, Modak Sagar, Vihar and Tulsi, located in Mumbai, Thane and Nashik districts - provide 3,800 MLD water to Mumbai everyday.

As per the BMC's disaster management cell, Mumbai reported 40 incidents of tree fall or tree branches fall, 13 of short-circuits in the 24-hour period ending 8 am.

Seven incidents involving collapse of parts of residential properties were also reported during that period.

The ceiling of a bathroom caved in on Thursday night, in which a 35-year-old person lost his life at Kandivali East, while a wooden loft fell at a house in slum-dominated Ganapat Patil Nagar in Dahisar that led to death of a one-and-half-year old child, it said.
 

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