Monsoon rains inundate low-lying areas, disrupt trains in Mumbai; Sena MLC urges mayor to act

MUMBAI: A day after the monsoon’s onset in Mumbai, heavy overnight rains on Wednesday disrupted suburban train services, caused waterlogging in low‑lying areas, and left commuters stranded.

Parts of the metropolis recorded more than 200 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8 am, officials said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate to heavy showers accompanied by thunder and lightning in Mumbai and its suburbs over the next 24 hours.

Ruling Shiv Sena MLC Manisha Kayande urged Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde to intensify efforts for thorough cleaning of drains and removal of dry waste, stressing that such measures are vital to prevent waterlogging and traffic disruptions during the monsoon.

Kayande, whose party is a constituent of the BJP-led Mahayuti government, also said the issue should not be viewed through a political lens and stressed that the focus must remain on resolving problems faced by people.

"It is not about politics but solving people's problems," she told reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan premises.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is controlled by the BJP and Shiv Sena.

The island city recorded an average rainfall of 195 mm, while the western suburbs received 208 mm and the eastern suburbs 167 mm during the 24 hours ending at 8 am, according to civic data.

The southwest monsoon reached Mumbai on Tuesday, 13 days after its normal onset date, bringing widespread rainfall across the city and suburbs and much-needed relief from the sweltering heat.

The overnight rain, however, inundated several low-lying areas of the city by Wednesday morning, affecting road traffic and the daily commute of thousands of residents.

Civic officials said water accumulation was reported at the Andheri subway, Hindmata and King's Circle areas during the early morning hours, affecting vehicular movement and leading to traffic congestion on key roads.

Suburban railway services were also affected as rainwater accumulated on tracks at some locations, though officials said the water level remained below the danger mark prescribed for suspending train operations.

Several commuters complained of delayed services and overcrowded local trains during the morning peak hours, particularly on Central Railway corridors.

The heavy rain also affected Central Railway's Trans-Harbour line services between Thane and Vashi/Panvel in neighbouring Navi Mumbai after a track cave-in caused by excessive water flow between Turbhe and Koparkhairane stations, officials said.

A Central Railway spokesperson said the up line on the Thane-Vashi section was declared unsafe at 5.06 am, while the down line was declared unsafe at 5.50 am, affecting train operations during the morning rush hour.

The up line was restored at 7.27 am with a speed restriction of 10 kmph, while the down line was declared safe at 7.35 am with trains permitted to run at 30 kmph.

"Track cave-in occurred because of excess water flow," the official said.

Commuters faced delays and overcrowding at several stations as train services were regulated following the incident.

Western Railway services, however, were operating normally despite the heavy rainfall, officials said.

A high tide of 3.41 metres was recorded at 8.28 am, while another high tide of 3.35 metres is expected at 7.41 pm, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

Generally, heavy downpours combined with high tide led to waterlogging in the metropolis, which is surrounded by the Arabian Sea.

Sena MLC Manisha Kayande said cleaning of "nullahs" (drains) was essential in Mumbai, though some amount of waterlogging was expected during periods of heavy rainfall.

Some drains had not been cleaned adequately, which contributed to water accumulation in parts of the city, Kayande said.

"The mayor may need to work harder to clean the nullahs and remove dry waste from them so that water does not get logged and affect overall vehicular movement," she added.

Officials said civic and disaster management teams were on alert and monitoring rain-related incidents across the metropolis as rainfall activity is expected to continue.

Earlier, the IMD issued a red alert for Mumbai and Palghar at 4 am on Wednesday, valid for three hours, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, intense to very intense rainfall, and winds of 40-60 kmph. It was downgraded to an orange alert at 7 am for the next three hours, with moderate to intense spells of rain forecast for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar and Sindhudurg districts.

The southwest monsoon finally hit Mumbai on Tuesday. The normal onset date of the monsoon in Mumbai is June 10. Notably, in 2023, the monsoon arrived even later, on June 25, according to IMD data.

The longest delay was in 1974 and 1958 when the onset of monsoon was recorded on June 28, according to IMD.