Non-stop heavy rains in Mumbai affect local train and bus services

• Heavy rains lashed parts of Mumbai and neighbouring Thane and Palghar districts of Maharashtra on Wednesday, affecting some local train and bus services due to water-logging on rail tracks and roads, officials said.
  
• Dahanu in Palghar recorded over 350 mm rainfall in the 12-hour period ending at 5.30 am on Wednesday while some areas in Thane received over 150 mm during the period, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, and predicted more intense showers during the day.
  
• According to railway sources, suburban services were stopped due to water-logging on tracks at Palghar station.

Heavy rains lashed parts of Mumbai and neighbouring Thane and Palghar districts of Maharashtra on Wednesday, affecting some local train and bus services due to water-logging on rail tracks and roads, officials said.

Dahanu in Palghar recorded over 350 mm rainfall in the 12-hour period ending at 5.30 am on Wednesday while some areas in Thane received over 150 mm during the period, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, and predicted more intense showers during the day.

Water-logging was reported in low lying areas of Chembur, Parel, Hindmata, Wadala and other areas of Mumbai.

Train movement on the Western Railway route in Palghar was affected due to heavy rain in the morning.

There was "minor disruption" at Palghar from 5.40 am to 7.10 am due to 266 mm rain in two hours and hence, a few trains were regulated enroute, Western Railway's chief spokesperson Sumit Thakur said.

According to railway sources, suburban services were stopped due to water-logging on tracks at Palghar station.

Thakur, however, said despite heavy rains in various suburbs, the Western Railways suburban services were running normal between Churchgate and Dahanu Road.

On the central line, there was water-logging on tracks in Sion and Kurla areas and trains were running with some delays, sources said.

Central Railway's chief spokesperson Shivaji Sutar said their suburban services, from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Kasara (Thane), Khopoli (Raigad), Panvel (Navi Mumbai) and Goregaon, were running despite the heavy showers.

Both the Central Railway and Western Railway are operating nearly 350 special train services each daily for those working in essential and emergency services.

Bus services of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), the city civic body's transport wing, were also affected due to water-logging on some roads.

A BEST spokesperson said their services were diverted on more than 30 routes, including two locations in Thane district, till 9 am.

The weather station at Dahanu in Palghar recorded 364 mm rainfall in the 12-hour period ending at 5.30 am on Wednesday, IMD Mumbai centre's deputy director general K S Hosalikar said.

Besides, the weather station at Bhayander in Thane recorded 169 mm rainfall while the one at Mira Road reported 159 mm during the same period, he said.

As per IMD's website, Thane city, Dombivli and Kalyan areas, which are part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), received more than 120 mm rainfall during the same period.

"The cloud activity indicates that there would be one more intense rainfall day on Wednesday, Hosalikar tweeted.

"Heavy to very heavy with isolated extremely heavy rains possible in next 24 over entire Konkan region. In North Konkan the impact could be more including Thane, Mumbai and Palghar, he said.

Parts of south Madhya Maharashtra and adjoining Marathwada region are also likely to get very heavy rainfall, along with intense spells, he said.

"With formation of low pressure area on Tuesday in North Bay, as forecast by the IMD, it has resulted into strengthening of lower level southerly winds over Arabian sea. It has brought heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in and around Mumbai, Hosalikar said.

Since Tuesday night, the western suburbs here received 82.43 mm rain, followed by eastern suburbs-69.11 mm and the island city-45.38 mm, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said.

The Pune district also received 59 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours and it is likely to witness moderate to isolated heavy showers in next two days, an IMD official said.

The catchment areas of four dams - Varasgaon, Khadakwasla, Panshet and Temghar which provide water to the city - received good rainfall.

Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said since good rainfall is predicted by the IMD, the city is not likely to face any water cuts till the Ganesh festival, which begins on August 22.

In western Maharashtra, 1,139 cusec water was discharged from Koyna dam, and at least 80 bunds (weir) on the Pancnhganga river in Kolhapur district were submerged, the district administration said.

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