Heavy rains battered Mumbai for the second day , flooding streets and severely disrupting road traffic and local train services, considered as the city’s lifeline, officials said.
According to PTI, Nearly 350 persons from Kurla area were shifted to safer locations as the Mithi river, which runs through the city, swelled after torrential rains, Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office said.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reviewed the situation and said the civic chief told him the city received nearly 200 mm rainfall in just six hours.
Schools, colleges, government and semi-government offices remained shut and the Bombay High Court functioned only till 12.30 pm due to the incessant rains which crippled normal life.
The Mumbai Police and civic authorities appealed to residents to step out of homes only if necessary and also requested the private sector to allow work from home.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a ‘red alert’ for Konkan region, including Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Palghar districts and adjoining ghat areas of central Maharashtra, warning of extremely heavy rainfall till Wednesday.
Meanwhile due to heavy rains 10 persons died , bringing Mumbai to a near standstill, damaging properties and crops, and prompting the authorities to shift hundreds to safer locations.
Apart from paralysing Mumbai and its metropolitan region, where train services and flight operations were affected, heavy rainfall battered Gadchiroli in Vidarbha region and Nanded in Marathwada region, among other districts.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who reviewed the flood situation with the disaster management department, said the next 48 hours would be crucial for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, which remain on high alert.
Eight persons have died in Maharashtra’s Nanded district which witnessed flooding due to a cloudburst-like situation, while Mumbai received a record rainfall of around 300 mm, the CM said.
He said crops spread across 12 to 14 lakh acres of land suffered damages due to heavy rains.
Coordination was being done with neighbouring states for the management of discharge from dams. “The uncontrolled catchment areas are a worry,” he said.
