Mumbai: As torrential monsoon rain brought train services to a halt across parts of Maharashtra, thousands of stranded passengers found support not from timetables, but from ordinary citizens. With long-distance trains stuck for hours due to flooding in Palghar and landslides in the Karjat-Lonavala ghat section, volunteers, NGOs, gurudwaras and local communities stepped in to provide food, drinking water and temporary shelter.
Gurudwara Serves Khichdi to 3,000 Passengers at Surat
The humanitarian response stretched across stations including Borivali, Vasai, Palghar, Dahanu, Surat and Gholvad, where stranded passengers waited inside trains and on platforms. Volunteers distributed vada pav, poha, puri-bhaji, tea, biscuits, bottled water and cooked meals throughout the day. At Surat, members of Guru Teg Bahadur Gurudwara served khichdi and dal-rice to nearly 3,000 passengers, while local hotels and restaurants in Dahanu opened their kitchens to prepare food packets.
"We immediately arranged funds to buy food for stranded passengers. Even if no one acknowledges our efforts, we should continue doing good," said Ketan Shah of Suhana Safar Foundation, which supplied food and water to passengers at Borivali.
Neon Foundation Feeds 1,500 Despite Flooded Roads in Palghar
In Palghar, Neon Foundation served meals to more than 1,500 passengers despite flooded roads. "The biggest challenge was bringing food to the station because roads were submerged, but people kept arriving and we continued serving them," said foundation member Shilpa Jain.
The disruption followed extreme rainfall that flooded tracks on the Western Railway and triggered multiple landslides on the Mumbai-Pune route, forcing cancellations, diversions and delays. While railway staff worked to restore services, the spontaneous efforts of local communities ensured that stranded travellers had access to food, water and care, turning a day of disruption into a reminder of compassion during a crisis.
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