Mumbai is under a red alert on Wednesday as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy rain in the city and nearby regions for the day. However, the weather department also said that the intensity of rainfall in the metropolis will go down starting Thursday.
On Tuesday, heavy downpour in Mumbai flooded streets that resembled rivers at several places, thus disrupting traffic and rail services in multiple areas.
Commuters faced severe hardship as local train services of the Central Railway were disrupted on its main and harbour lines due to submergence of tracks due to torrential rains, while flight operations, too, were affected.
Schools, colleges, government and semi-government offices remained shut, and the Bombay High Court functioned only till 12.30 pm due to the incessant rains.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who reviewed the flood situation with the disaster management department, said the next 48 hours would be crucial for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, which remain on high alert.
While the weather department issued a red alert for Raigad and the ghat sections of Pune district for Wednesday, it sounded an orange alert for Thane, Palghar, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts.
Central Maharashtra is expected to witness no rainfall, while parts of Marathwada and Vidarbha regions may receive light to moderate showers, it said.
Meanwhile, IndiGo issued a travel advisory in view of the heavy rains in Mumbai. An advisory was also issued by SpiceJet.
MONORAILS STUCK
Amid heavy rain in Mumbai on Tuesday, as many as 782 passengers were rescued after two overcrowded Monorail trains on elevated tracks got stuck between stations in the city, leading to panic and frantic rescue efforts.
More than a dozen passengers complained of suffocation, with a couple of them reportedly fainting as electricity and air-conditioning shut down, though only one passenger had to be hospitalised and her condition was said to be stable.
Overcrowding by passengers, who had no other option left with the downpour crippling the suburban local train services, led to the power failure as the Monorail system is not capable of handling a sudden rush, news agency PTI quoted the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) as saying.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said an inquiry will be conducted into the incident.
21 KILLED IN RAIN-RELATED INCIDENTS ACROSS MAHARASHTRA
Rain-related incidents have claimed the lives of 21 persons in Maharashtra in five days starting August 15, with Nanded district alone accounting for seven deaths, an official report stated on Tuesday.
A report issued by the state disaster management department about the situation said the state reported one death on August 15, while three deaths occurred the next day (August 16).
On August 17, seven people lost their lives, followed by three and six deaths on August 18 and 19, respectively, bringing the total toll to 21.
Wall or house collapse, lightning strikes, flooding, being swept away in swollen rivers, and landslides are some of the prominent causes of death.
Notably, Nanded district alone accounted for seven deaths, largely due to drowning incidents.
Twelve animals also perished in rain-related incidents, while 10 persons sustained injuries.
Source: News18