Torrential rains lash Mumbai, parts of Maha; schools shut in Nagpur

Mumbai/Nagpur, July 20 – Heavy overnight rains lashed Mumbai, coastal Konkan and several parts of the state, leading to waterlogging and flooding in many parts hitting normal life, officials said here on Saturday.

The rains started around midnight with the downpour continuing with incessant downpours in the city and suburbs, plus a forecast of heavier rains during the day.

Waterlogging was reported in Dadar, Wadala, Parel, Kurla, Bhandup, Jogeshwari, Goregaon, Kandivali, Borivali and other places, while the Andheri subway was closed as it was flooded with 4-5 feet water, and pumps were deployed in subways at Dahisar, Kandivali, Malad, Santacruz, Khar and Mankhurd to throw out the flood waters.

While traffic was reported slow on the Eastern Express Highway, vehicles moved at a snail’s pace on the Western Express Highway owing to flooding in parts of Kandivali, Malad and Goregaon.

The Western Railway reported normal services, but the Central Railway and its Harbour Line services were operational, although there were delays ranging from 10-15 minutes in some sections.

In the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), heavy rains continued to pound parts of Palghar, Thane, and Raigad, disrupting traffic movements on many local and inter-city roads, and a red alert has been sounded in Ratnagiri for Saturday.

Lashed by heavy rains and waterlogging in many areas, schools were ordered to be shut in Nagpur, while Gadchiroli and Chandrapur were put on a red alert for Saturday.

Meanwhile, in the past 12 hours (overnight) till Saturday 8 a.m., Mumbai recorded an average rainfall of 91 mm (city), western suburbs (93 mm) and eastern suburbs (87 mm), said the BMC.

The forecast for the day will be moderate to heavy rainfall in most of Mumbai with the possibility of very heavy in some places, as per the BMC.