‘Next 48 Hours Critical,’ Says Devendra Fadnavis as Monster Rain Paralyses Mumbai
Heavy rains continued to lash Mumbai on Tuesday, paralyzing the city with widespread waterlogging and crippling essential services. After an urgent review of the flood situation, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared that the next 48 hours would be critical for Mumbai and the surrounding districts of Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg, which remain on high alert.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for the financial capital and its suburbs, warning of persistent and intense rainfall as all civic and disaster management agencies have been put on high alert.
In response to the deluge, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared a holiday for all government, semi-government, and municipal offices, excluding essential services. The civic body also strongly advised private offices across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to allow employees to work from home where possible and urged all citizens to avoid non-essential travel to ensure public safety. Educational institutions were shut across the city, and the Directorate of Higher Education declared a holiday for senior colleges throughout the Konkan region.
The city’s transport network was thrown into disarray. At Mumbai Airport, hundreds of flights were affected, with data showing 253 departures and 163 arrivals delayed by mid-afternoon, and at least eight flights were diverted to other cities. Airlines like IndiGo issued advisories, citing operational challenges due to waterlogged routes.
The city’s lifeline, the local train network, was also hit hard, with Central Railway services running 20 to 30 minutes late due to poor visibility and water on the tracks, a situation exacerbated by an early morning signal failure. BEST bus services were also diverted on several routes due to submerged roads.
On the ground, commuters were left stranded as major arteries like SV Road in Andheri West came to a complete standstill. Visuals from across the city, including Gandhi Market in Sion, Dadar, and Hindmata, showed roads submerged under water, forcing people to wade through flooded streets.
The situation was particularly grim in Vasai, where areas like Vasant Nagari and Evershine Road were completely submerged, and reports indicated that between 200 and 400 people were trapped in the flooded Mithagar area. The sheer intensity of the downpour was reflected in rainfall data, with Vikhroli receiving a staggering 255.5 mm in the 24 hours ending Tuesday morning, followed by Byculla (241.0 mm) and Santacruz (238.2 mm).
