Heavy rain lashes Mumbai; train operations hit, many flights delayed

Mumbai: Heavy rains lashed Mumbai on Saturday, marking the onset of monsoon in India's financial capital and bringing back civic problems such as waterlogging, traffic snarls and flight 

delays. The city has received 75-95 cm rainfall in the last 12 hours ended in the morning at 0830 hours. 

Within 30 minutes of a fresh spell of rain in the morning, roads in several areas, including Mahim, Hindmata and Marine Drive, were flooded. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed at various junctions, including at Hindmata, which is the worst-hit.

At least 20 domestic flights had been delayed and one was cancelled;12 international flights were also behind schedule, while two stand  cancelled.

Local trains were running about 15-20 minutes late, officials said. "Parts of a wall fell on the railway tracks near Kalyan railway station this morning. Though it was removed immediately, trains on the down slow line were diverted to the fast line for some time,"Central Railways spokesperson Sunil Udasi said. 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rain in Mumbai till tomorrow. The rain this time might get worse than the heavy rain that battered the city in 2005, when thousands of people were stranded on the road and many walked for a long distance back

home on a single evening.

Earlier on Saturday, the IMD declared the onset of monsoon over Mumbai and warned of "extremely heavy rainfall" along India's west coast over the weekend. 

"Monsoon has hit Mumbai, Thane and some more parts of Maharashtra,"a Met official said.

In view of the alert, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken a number of precautionary measures to ensure that the residents don't face any problem. Residents of the city have been asked to stay indoors.

In the wake of the warning from the weather department, BMC has cancelled "leaves of all the senior officials, including deputy municipal commissioners (DMCs), assistant commissioners (AMCs) and heads of departments and they have been directed to be available in their headquarters on June 9 and 10 (Saturday and Sunday)," it had said.

The BMC said three teams of NDRF would be stationed at Parel, Mankhurd (for eastern suburbs) and Andheri Sports Complex (for western suburbs). They are equipped with walkie-talkies and flood rescue material.

Besides, Navy personnel will be deployed in Colaba, Worli, Ghatkopar, Trombay, Malad for flood rescue, if required, the BMC release said.The BMC has kept teams on alert to help people if there is severe flooding. It has asked schools to keep their gates open and let

people take shelter in the buildings if the need arises. 

The authorities said they are trying their best to avoid flooding by pumping out excess water, but some low-lying areas are always  vulnerable.Fishermen have also been warned against going too far out into the sea. 

The Mumbai Police have asked people to drive only if necessary. To drive home their point on safety during rain, the police tweeted a photo of a vehicle that overturned after skidding on a wet road in south Mumbai's Lower Parel.(UNI)