Mumbai, July 21 (PTI) – Mumbai and its suburbs experienced heavy rainfall exceeding 100 mm in 12 hours by 8 PM on Sunday. This deluge inundated roads, disrupted local train services, and caused flight diversions.
The island city itself saw 101 mm of rain from 8 AM, while the eastern and western suburbs recorded 121 mm and 113 mm, respectively. “Rains abated in the night hours,” according to officials.
The intense rainfall caused the Mithi River’s water level to rise to 2.26 meters. A civic official noted, “The river level beyond its alarming 2.7-metre mark causes a flood.” The infamous 2005 Mumbai deluge saw significant casualties in Kurla, one of the affected areas by the Mithi River. Originating from Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the Mithi River traverses 18 km to Mahim Creek before flowing into the Arabian Sea.
Earlier in the day, Mumbai airport saw 36 flight cancellations and 15 diversions, including flights by Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa, primarily redirected to Ahmedabad. “Heavy rains forced the facility operator to suspend runway operations twice during the day, for eight minutes at 12.12 PM and later from 1 PM to 1.15 PM,” sources confirmed.
Local train services faced delays of 15 to 20 minutes on the Harbour Line due to waterlogging near Mankhurd, Panvel, and Kurla stations. However, Western Railway operations continued normally. Evening rains affected Central Railway services on the down-fast line between Dadar and Matunga stations. An official mentioned, “Water logging on tracks at Dadar on the Up and Down fast line compounded the problem.” Services resumed once the rain intensity decreased.
Traffic was also disrupted; Andheri Subway in DN Nagar was closed, with southbound traffic diverted via Gokhale Bridge and northbound via Thackeray Bridge due to water accumulation. Similarly, the Khar subway closure led to traffic diversions via Linking Road, while the Maharashtra Nagar subway in Trombay was shut for traffic due to flooding.
In Wadala and Matunga, several vehicles were stranded on flooded roads. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde instructed officials to remain vigilant amidst heavy rains across Maharashtra. He urged the State Disaster Response Force, local administrations, civic bodies, and police to regularly update weather information from the India Meteorological Department to ensure citizen relief.
Officials rescued 60 picnickers stranded on a hill in the Belapur node of Navi Mumbai amid heavy rains. Navi Mumbai recorded 83.38 mm of rainfall in five hours, ending at 1:30 PM, leading to water-logging in Vashi, Nerul, and Sanpada.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticized the Maharashtra government after social media clips showed policemen filling potholes in Mumbai and Mira Bhayander. Thackeray questioned why police were handling this task instead of contracted firms linked to the BJP and the ruling alliance.
Mumbai’s recent heavy rainfall serves as a stark reminder of the city’s ongoing struggle with monsoon-related disruptions. With infrastructure improvements urgently needed, citizens and authorities must collaborate to mitigate future incidents. Stay updated on weather forecasts and plan your commutes accordingly.
