Train services hit, 400 rescued as heavy rain pounds Mumbai
Mumbai and Konkan region continued to experience heavy rains with Central Railway services hit on various sectors and boats were deployed to rescue around 400 people stranded in the Kurla suburb
Mumbai and the coastal Konkan region continued to experience heavy rains on Sunday with the Central Railway services hit on various sectors and boats were deployed to rescue around 400 people stranded in the Kurla suburb, officials said here.
Following incessant overnight rains, water seeped into many homes in Kranti Nagar area of Kurla, following which the BMC deployed rubber boats to rescue around 400 stranded residents.
In Church Road-dahanukarwadi areas of Kandivali, some locals made temporary rats of wooden board to ferry people to nearby areas for replenishing stocks of essentials.
Around 35 people of the tiny Ju village in Thane have been stranded due to rising flood waters and the state government has requested an air rescue operation for them.
They have been temporarily shited to Bazarwad Municipal School and arrangements made to give them food, water and medical help as required, said the BMC Disaster Control.
In some villages in Pen, Raigad district, around 60 people were stuck in five-six feet deep water since 4 a.m. on Sunday, and the authorities have deployed NDRF teams to rescue them.
The downpour, which revived with full intensity since Friday night, continued Sunday with many areas of Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad and Ratnagiri remaining submerged, hiting normal life and road traffic.
Barring delays, the Western Railway services continued, but CR services were hit in some sectors like Kurla-sion due to waterlogging on tracks, breaches in railway lines, landslides on outstation routes. Its suburban Harbour Line was also paralysed.
Mumbai is likely experience a 4.86 metres high tide at 2.29 p.m. on Sunday, with the IMD and BMC Disaster Control warning people to keep away from coastal areas and beaches in the city.
The BMC, Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, besides all other agencies, are on a high alert for any eventuality. A portion of a bridge on Pinjal river in Palghar was washed away, bringing traffic to a complete halt on both sides.
However, most flights were operating at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport with delays of around 30 minutes, said officials.
Till Sunday morning, the IMD said Mumbai city recorded 142 mm rains and the suburbs notched 204 mm. The BMC’S rain monitors pegged the figure at 116 mm for Mumbai city, 195 mm for the eastern-western suburbs.
The BMC Disaster Control have asked people to keep away from all seafronts for the next two days as extremely heavy rains are forecast.
“Due to heavy and continuous rains and accumulation of water in few sections, services have been suspended as a precautionary measure,” sad Central Railway spokesperson Sunil Udasi.
Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) spokesperson said that there have been six go arounds while two flight have been diverted so far.
Coming to the aid of train passengers, the city civic body has opened relief camps at schools in south and central Mumbai where refreshments are being provided to them.
The water level on the tracks rose due to high tide in the Arabian sea coupled with rains in the aternoon, which caused water to flow backwards towards the Kurla, Sion and Chunabhati section, said Central Railway chief spokesperson Sunil Udasi.
“Suburban services were suspended between Kurla-sion stations on the main line and between Kurla and Chunabhati on Harbour line,” he said.
The CR has temporarily suspended the services between CSMT-VASHI route of Navi Mumbai on Harbour line and CSMT-THANE section on the main line.
As trains came to a halt, commuters alighted on marooned tracks amid rains and struggled through water to reach the nearest stations.
Many videos of the commuters walking on the tracks were circulated on social media.
Harbour line, which connects Panvel in Raigad district to CSMT in south Mumbai, suffered the double whammy as a portion of a ROB (Road Over Bridge) divider fell on the railway tracks at Tilak Nagar station.
“The debris are being cleared from track. Road traffic on this ROB has been suspended,” Udasi said.
He said special fast services are being operated between CSMT and Dadar stations.
“These special trains will not halt at Masjid, Sandhurst Road, Chinchpokli and Currey Road stations up to Dadar,” the chief spokesperson said.