Non-stop rains in Mumbai have killed 22, shut government offices, schools, delayed flights, and stranded people-- and it’s not over yet

• The Maharashtra government declared a public holiday on June 2, for schools and government offices
  
  
• Navi Mumbai and Western suburbs experienced heavy rains overnight and Versova and Andheri are water logged.
  
  
• Over 50 flights have been cancelled and 50 others are diverted from the city.
  
  
• Weather forecaster Skymet said that there could be flooding in the city between July 3-5 as the city might see 200 mm of rainfall.

The rains in Mumbai have not taken a break since the monsoons started on Thursday, with incessant rains overnight in many areas of the city and its suburbs. The overnight downpour has already claimed 22 lives due to wall collapse, according to reports. To avoid more such incidents, the city has deployed the Indian Navy, which helped shift around a thousand people from low-lying areas in the city.


The Maharashtra government declared a public holiday on June 2, for schools and government offices, since if rains continue, the city might experience flooding as it so often does in monsoons. Apart from online warnings, Kalyan and Dombivili municipal corporations have gone offline and into the public with speakers on autorickshaws playing a message asking people to stay safe and at home.


Apart from a bevy of volunteers, all of city’s emergency services are chipping in to aid stranded people --- like Fire Brigade, National Disaster Response Force (NRDF) too are in high alert mode, in case the city floods like it did in 2006. The worst flood of the city had then claimed as many as 5,000 people.


In Navi Mumbai and Western suburbs too experienced heavy rains overnight. Western express highway is flooded with Versova and Andheri are water logged already. Low lying areas of Dadar and Sion are also water-logged.


Lifeline Stalled
The train service which is referred to as ‘Mumbai’s lifeline’, has stopped early morning today as all the three lines—Western, Central and Harbour lines have been shut down. In fact, around 11:52 am, the city is expecting a high tide of 4.5 meters by 11:52 am.

Over 50 flights from the Mumbai airport have been cancelled and over 50 others are diverted due to heavy rains, say reports.

While the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted intermittent to moderate rains this week, private weather forecaster Skymet sounded off an alarm saying that there could be flooding in the city between July 3 to 5 as it expects 200 mm or more of rainfall.

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