Heavy Rain In Mumbai And Suburbs; Train, Bus Services Hit

Normal life was affected on Wednesday as heavy rain continued in Mumbai and its suburbs causing waterlogging and traffic snarls at several locations. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rain in Mumbai and its suburbs till Friday, with a possibility of very heavy showers at isolated places.

Train and bus services have been affected on some routes in the city due to flooding in the low-lying areas and railway tracks, officials said. 

Traffic police have been deployed at various key locations to ensure smooth movement, they added.

In the 24-hour period ending at 8 am on Wednesday, the city received an average 107 mm rainfall, while the eastern and western suburbs recorded 172 mm and 152 mm downpour, respectively, a civic official said.

Maharashtra has been witnessing heavy rains since Monday and the water level of some rivers has been rising rapidly. In Thane, a man was crushed to death as he fell from his motorcycle after hitting a pothole.

A landslide was reported near Pratapgad Fort in Satara district early this morning following heavy rains. However, there was no report of any casualty, officials said.

The Weather Department has issued 'red' and 'orange' alerts predicting very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over the next few days for Raigad, Ratnagiri and some other districts.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday directed state administration officials to take necessary precautions and ensure there was no loss of life or damage to property.

The Chief Minister also visited the disaster control room of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BCM) and said that he has told the authorities to shift people from spots that are vulnerable to landslides so as to avoid loss of lives.

He said that several teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been stationed at various locations across the state and more personnel will be sent if needed.