Mumbaikars and their counterparts in the neighbouring Thane and other areas in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) were brought to their knees on Wednesday, as heavy rains pounded the metropolis and surrounding areas, crippling normal life for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.
The country’s commercial capital witnessed rare scenes during the day, when many areas of downtown south Mumbai like Churchgate, Marine Lines, Marine Drive, Kalbadevi, Dongri and Byculla lay under thick sheets of water, a thing that had never happened even when the metropolis reeled under heavy rains during the months over the years.
The intensity of rains could be gauged from the fact that the Island city recorded a staggering 220.9 mm of rainfall between 8.30 an and 5.30 pm, while the suburbs registered 80.8 mm rain during the same period.
Although the day, Mumbaikars experienced strong winds sweeping the city.
The India Meteorological Department has predicted “heavy to extremely heavy spells of rains” for Mumbai and coastal Konkan for the next 24 hours.
Not wanting to take any chances, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray asked Mumbaikars to “on high alert as heavy rains continue in Mumbai for the 2nd consecutive day”. He also appealed to the citizens “to stay home and venture out only if essential”. Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray also made a similar appeal to the Mumbaikars.
On a day that proved to be an ordeal for Mumbnaikars, the Central Railway suspended its suburban train services between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-Kurla on the mainline and CSMT-Vashi on the Harbour Line following torrential rains and inundation of the railway tracks.
Similarly, the Western Railway all trains were being reversed from Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra and Andheri, following heavy rains and falling off of tree branches on the railway tracks Churchgate and Mumbai Central.
Many parts of Mumbai – especially south Mumbai areas like Churchgate, Marine Lines, Charni Road and Worli, following heavy rains and tree falls, while the vehicles crawled on the Eastern Express Highway and Western Express Highway.
Thousands of Mumbaikars, who had ventured out to their work places braving heavy rains in the morning, were stranded at many places, prompting the Bihannumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to make arrangements for their shelter at civic schools located near the railway stations.
In a major incident, Mumbai’s landmark building the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) – known originally as Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Tower – bore the brunt of rains as its massive signboard on the 29th floor was ripped off.
Similarly, a part of cement cladding adorning the exteriors of the Jaslok Hospital in south Mumbai blew away and fell in pieces on the road.
Water entered homes in not just low-lying slum areas, but also into ground floor homes, shops or offices, as heavy rains wreaked havoc in south Mumbai.
The people living in Mumbai’s suburbs and satellite cities and towns suffered a great deal because of incessant rains. Intense water-logging was in many satellite towns like Mira Road, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Ulhasnagar, Naigaon, Vasai, Virar and Dahanu.
Heavy rains battered Mumbai’s adjoining districts of Thane, Palghar and Raigad for the past 24 hours. In the districts of Ratnagiri and Raigad in the coastal Konkan region, 25 villages were marooned.