Chaos in Mumbai: Heavy rainfall causes flooding, schools shut, transport services hit, 50 flights cancelled

Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, saw normal life getting hit badly on July 8 morning after overnight downpour caused severe waterlogging crippling road and rail traffic. 

“Mumbai has recorded over 300 mm of rainfall at various places in six hours from 1 am to 7 am today. Heavy rains in some low-lying areas led to waterlogging and disruption of suburban train services. Heavy rain is also expected today,” the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.  

In the 24-hour period ending at 8 am today, the island city recorded an average 115.63 mm rainfall, while the eastern and western parts of the city received 168.68 mm and 165.93 mm rain, respectively. 

In eastern Mumbai, Govandi recorded the highest 315.6 mm rainfall, followed by 314.5 mm at Powai, while in western parts, Malpa Dongri in Andheri received the highest 292.2 mm rainfall followed by 278.2 mm at Chakala. In the island city, Pratiksha Nagar got 220.2 mm rainfall, followed by 185.8 mm in Sewri Koliwada. 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued prediction of heavy downpour for July 8 and has issued an orange alert. According to the Met department, very heavy rainfall is likely to hit the city in the next 2-3 hours. The IMD has also issued a yellow alert in Maharashtra’s Pune, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Sindhudurg, Amravati and Nagpur districts. 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the BMC control room to oversee situation in the city after heavy rains. 

Heavy rains over a 12-hour period flooded roads and railway tracks in Mumbai, disrupting flights and local train services. The downpour forced schools and colleges to shut with the weather department predicting moderate spells of rainfall in the city and suburbs. Heavy rain will continue in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra for the next 3 days, till July 10, the IMD has predicted. 

In order to avoid inconvenience to students, a holiday for the first session is declared for all BMC, government and private schools and colleges in Mumbai (BMC area).  

Due to ongoing rains in various parts of Maharashtra, teams of NDRF have been deployed in Thane, Vasai (Palghar), Mahad (Raigad), Chiplun (Ratnagiri), Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara Ghatkopar, Kurla and Sindhudurg. 

Flights, trains, bus service impacted 

Flight services at the Mumbai airport were severely impacted with runway operations shut for over an hour and 50 flights cancelled due to low visibility after heavy rains in the city. 

Of the 50 cancelled flights (both arrivals and departures), 42 services were of the no-frills IndiGo and six of Air India. The government-owned Alliance Air also had to cancel two (one departure and one arrival) of its flights. 

Earlier, sources said that runway operations at the airport had to be suspended from 2.22 am to 3.40 am, leading to diversion of some 27 flights to nearby airports. Flights were diverted to cities such as Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Indore among others. Several airlines took to X (formerly Twitter) to warn passengers and urged them to check flight status before leaving for the airport. 

BEST’s 42 bus routes have been affected due to water logging on roads in Mumbai. Visuals from across the city showed people wading through waist-deep waters and cars lined bumper to bumper on Mumbai roads. 

Considered the city’s life line, the suburban train services were suspended across the city after rainwater caused flooding on the tracks. Train services between Kasara and Titwala stations in Thane district were suspended after soil covered the tracks between Atgaon and Thansit stations, disrupting rail traffic on the busy Kalyan-Kasara route.

(With inputs from agencies)