.jpg?width=1200)
Mumbai: The city experienced heavy rainfall starting from Friday morning, with the western suburbs receiving 92.81 mm, the city area 90.56 mm, and the eastern suburbs 87.14 mm within the 24 hours ending Saturday at 8 am. The downpour persisted through the weekend, with additional rainfall amounts recorded between 8 am and 6 pm: 63.56 mm in the city, 49.68 mm in the eastern suburbs, and 38.18 mm in the western suburbs. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall for the city and suburbs on Sunday.
The Andheri subway, a crucial route for commuters, temporarily closed on Saturday morning due to waterlogging caused by continuous rainfall. The subway became impassable as water accumulated, but it reopened later in the day once the water levels subsided.
.jpg)
Additionally, BEST bus services were diverted due to waterlogging at Shell Colony in Chembur and near Sheetal Talkies in Kurla. "The dewatering pumps were activated at key locations like Dahisar subway, Mankhurd, Poisar and Khar subway to prevent further waterlogging, ensuring minimal impact on traffic. They attributed the swift receding of water to intermittent heavy rains," claimed a senior civic official.
Normal life in the city was disrupted following heavy rains on July 8, when the city received a staggering 300 mm of rainfall in just six hours. Learning from past experiences, civic authorities cautioned officials to remain vigilant and monitor the situation closely.
.jpg)
On Saturday, the ward officials and staff from the stormwater drains department were actively engaged at various chronic flooding spots. The city recorded incidents including 19 tree collapses or fallen branches, eight instances of short circuits, and two cases of wall collapses. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in any of these incidents.
Traffic movement remained slow throughout Friday and Saturday, not only because of the rains but also due to worsening road conditions with deep potholes. Motorists complained that the bad roads, combined with low visibility, can cause serious and potentially fatal accidents on city roads.
.jpg)
"The situation on Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) is getting worse every day. The roads are bad as usual since the BMC has been undertaking work, plus hawkers have encroached on both sides along with illegal parking at important points—altogether, the traffic is as slow as a snail here," said Rachit Joshi, a motorist based in Mulund.
This problem also pertains to the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR). The slow traffic and waterlogging at Chembur worsened the traffic on Saturday in the eastern suburbs.
.JPG)
Waterlogging at Sion’s Gandhi Market, located near King Circle railway station, affected traffic towards the south and eastern regions of the city. "If traffic accumulates near King Circle, it affects Dr BA Road. On one side, it may cripple roads till Byculla, and on the other side, it affects Vashi Naka," explained a traffic police officer. The police on the ground tried their best to clear the traffic, but with continuous rains, the water kept accumulating.
.jpg)
At Byculla Bridge, traffic movement was reported to be slow due to BMC’s work, which in turn affected movement on Dr BA Road, JJ Flyover, and the southbound direction towards south Mumbai.
