“Red alert” for heavy rain tomorrow in Mumbai
MUMBAI : Heavy rains on Tuesday pummeled Mumbai and adjoining areas, disrupting rail, road and air services and threw normal life out of gear. Besides the metropolis, adjoining Navi Mumbai and Thane regions were also lashed by incessant downpour since last night, delaying suburban train services and leaving vehicles crawling through waterlogged roads in low-lying areas.
As the financial capital stopped in its tracks, no respite was in sight as the MeT department forecast “extremely heavy rainfall” in the next 24 to 48 hours in the western coast of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, and parts of Gujarat and Goa.
The IMD has already given heavy to very heavy rainfall warning to Maharashtra and Gujarat governments, he said. Here are the latest updates and developments: The weather office has sounded a “red alert” for heavy rain tomorrow in Mumbai, which reported 200 mm of rain today, about nine times more than average. Schools and colleges will be closed on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted to say that people in and around Mumbai are “advised to stay back home unless there is an emergency”, but “essential services and critical staff in Government will be on duty tomorrow”. Operations at the Mumbai airport, suspended for a while on Tuesday evening because of low visibility, have resumed. But flights are delayed, as are trains.
There is waist-high water at many places and big traffic jams all over the city. “Stay Safe,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Mumbai in a tweet. Local trains, Mumbai’s lifeline, are running late, with trains services disrupted at many places due to flooding on rail tacks at several stations. Many commuters were stranded at stations. Till now, 10 flights have been cancelled from Mumbai airport and 7 have been diverted.
Thousands waded today through waist-deep water. People abandoned cars to walk, with the police encouraging them to do so wherever the water was tyre-high. With high tide in the evening, the police also urged people to avoid beaches and promenades. The Mumbai Police said the Bandra-Worli Sea Link has been re-opened for traffic on both sides after being closed for several hours to clear traffic snarls.
The state government asked offices to allow employees to leave early. In the evening, Mumbai Police advised people not to panic if still at work. “A little delay and planned travel may help you better,” it said.T Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are on alert. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the state Disaster Management Control room to monitor the situation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minster Rajnath Singh tweeted that they have spoken to Mr Fadnavis and assured him of all help from the Centre.
