Mumbai Rains: Waterlogged Streets, Traffic Woes for Mumbaikars as Heavy Rains Lash Maximum City

Mumbai: Three persons were killed and five injured in rain-related incidents on Friday in Mumbai, which was lashed by the first spell of heavy rains this monsoon that marked its most delayed arrival in the city in 45 years, officials said.

Mumbaikars woke up to heavy rains, ending a long dry spell, but a few hours of incessant showers left the financial capital struggling with the familiar monsoon woes of waterlogging, delayed trains, traffic jams and choked drains.

Three persons died of electric shocks, while two others were injured in two separate incidents in the western suburbs, a spokesperson of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

According to the civic official, the deceased were identified as Kashima Yudiyar (60), a resident of Andheri (East), Rajendra Yadav (60) and Sanjay Yadav (24) -- both from Goregaon (East).

Two others suffered injuries in the Goregaon incident and were admitted to a local hospital, he said. The police were inquiring into the Goregaon electrocution incident, he added.

Three persons were injured when a portion of a wall collapsed in Dadar (East), he said, adding that they were admitted to the civic-run KEM Hospital.

Waterlogging was reported from areas like Dadar, Wadala, Worli, Kurla, Chembur, Bandra, Andheri, Kandivili, Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg and Bhandup, among others.

Responding to the reports of waterlogging, the BMC said pumping out water will take time because of high tide in the Arabian Sea.

"Hello, Mumbai! The island city and suburbs have received 33 mm and 95 mm rainfall respectively. While we're on our toes, it may take some time to pump out all water from waterlogged areas owing to neap tide. Hopefully, all should be well by late evening," the civic body said in a tweet.

High tide is a natural phenomenon during which the sea level rises and if the timings of rain and high tide coincide, then waterlogging aggravates in Mumbai.

The BMC appealed to the citizens to avoid driving in the waterlogged areas.

"We request all citizens to not drive into water logged areas till the water is pumped out. We understand you may get slightly delayed but let's not compromise on safety," the civic body said in another tweet.

Traffic snarls were reported from several parts of the metropolis and the residents took to social media to narrate their sufferings.

"The entire city is dug up. Blame your bad maintenance and infrastructure management...Don't blame the rains....It's just one day...The common man has to suffer," a woman tweeted.

Deepak Malhar, a resident of Bhandup, rued that nothing had changed this year too.

"Water-logged roads, choked drains, traffic snarls, delayed trains. This is another year, another monsoon but same flooded roads, same traffic woes and same hardships. Our city is unable to withstand even a mild bout of rainfall," he said in a tweet.

More rains have been forecast in the next 24 hours.

Deputy Director General (Meteorology), IMD-Mumbai, KS Hosalikar tweeted, "Latest satellite indicate enhanced rainfall activity will sustain over west coast including Mumbai, Thane and around.

@CPMumbaiPolice, @MCGM_BMC."

Private weather forecaster Skymet predicted heavy to very heavy rains in Mumbai, Thane, Ratnagiri and the adjoining areas in the next 24 hours.

"During the next 24 hours, light to moderate #rains with one or two heavy spells are likely to be witnessed over #Gujarat region, #Konkan and #Goa, Madhya #Maharashtra and coastal #Karnataka," it said in a tweet.

Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora hoped that the rains would lead to an increase in the water level in dams and lakes.

"Glad to see it's finally raining in Mumbai. Much desired considering the depleted water levels in our dams and lakes. Hope we have a great monsoon this year in Maharashtra and the rest of

India."

Since the monsoon had been playing truant, the civic administration has been forced to use the reserve stock of water from its lakes to fulfil the needs of Mumbaikars.

Suburban train services, considered Mumbai's lifeline, were running late by 10 to 15 minutes, said railway officials.

A heavy traffic jam affected the movement of vehicles on the Mulund-Sion stretch of the Eastern Express Highway, the BMC spokesperson said, adding that the civic body had to close a busy subway in suburban Andheri due to waterlogging.

Meanwhile, Mumbai saw the most delayed arrival of the monsoon in the last 45 years on June 25. Since then, the metropolis had been experiencing only light and sporadic showers.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) sources, the most-delayed monsoon was in 1974 when it had arrived on June 28. Before that, the arrival of monsoon was delayed twice -- on June 28 in 1958 and on June 26 in 1959.

The normal date for the arrival of monsoon over Mumbai is June 10.

Till 4 pm on June 28, the Colaba observatory had recorded 19.2 mm rain and the Santacruz observatory 138 mm, the BMC said.

The civic body also said that in the last eight hours, its weather stations had recorded an average rainfall of 64.52.23 mm in the island city, 116.27 mm in the eastern suburbs and 89.10 mm in the western suburbs.

(With inputs from agencies)