Mumbai Rains: Amid Heavy Showers, Waterlogging Woes Persist; Central Railway Suburban Services Delayed By 15 Minutes

Mumbai continued to face intermittent rains on Saturday and several areas were reeling from the effect of the same. The suburbs and metropolitan region has been receiving heavy rains leading to inundation of low-lying areas. The downpours on Friday led to flooding in parts of the city and disreupted traffic.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has reported rainfall in various regions of Mumbai, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing an 'orange' alert for the city, predicting heavy to very heavy showers. The IMD has also forecast spells of heavy rain over the next four hours in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and the ghat sections of Pune.

Traffic Disruptions and Public Transportation Diversion

On Saturday, the local trains in Central Railway were delayed by 15-20 minutes due to water logging on tracks in Kalyan. The region received 90mm rainfall on July 22 morning.

Meanwhile, BEST bus routes no 355, 357, 360 which would ply to and from Shell Colony were diverted and running on route of bus 375 due to waterlogging, stated the transport undertaking.

On Friday, waterlogging was reported in several areas, including Andheri, Kurla, Ghatkopar, and Chembur, leading to severe inconvenience for motorists and pedestrians . The closure of the Andheri subway due to flooding further compounded transportation issues. The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) diverted buses in the Sion area to navigate through waterlogged streets. Commuters faced delays during the evening rush hour as suburban services of Central and Western railways ran 10 to 20 minutes late and 10 to 15 minutes late, respectively.

Water Stock Status in Mumbai's Lakes

As of July 21, the combined water stock in Mumbai's seven reservoirs stands at 42.75 percent, equivalent to 6,18,754 million liters, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) report. While the Tulsi Lake is overflowing, other lakes have seen only a slight increase in water stock due to insufficient rainfall in the catchment areas, despite heavy downpours over the past 36 hours. The current water stock is sufficient for approximately 115 days. Water cuts are likely in the city until water stock in all seven reservoirs reaches 75 percent.