Severe Rains Have Left Mumbai With More Than Its Feet Wet
Incessant downpours have left residents and the municipality running for cover.
Heavy rains starting in the wee hours of Monday, July 7th saw India’s financial capital struggling to keep its head above water. The ensuing stagnation in many areas severely disrupted daily life with commuters having to contend with inner-city train delays. These included the Western Railways line from Matunga Road and Dadar. There was also trouble between Thane and South Mumbai’s terminus CSMT, while Central Railway cancelled long distance trains due to submerged railway tracks.
The inclement weather didn’t spare flight services either. Less visibility and more congestion in and around Mumbai’s international airport led to several delays or cancellations. Various airlines have advised passengers to regularly monitor their flight status. Meanwhile, motorists were either stuck in traffic jams or had to abandon their vehicles and wade through deluged roads to safely. The city’s public bus service struggled through deluged areas like Worli, Bandra Kurla East, King’s Circle and Dadar.
Not surprisingly, children have gotten the day off from school with local authorities instructing all educational establishments to remain closed. There is a stark difference between the water level in the Mumbai island’s southernmost tip of Colaba and the northern suburb of Santa Cruz, with the former reporting 84 mm of rain and the latter, a staggering 268 mm! Altogether, this accounts for over a quarter of Mumbai’s annual rainfall.
40 incidents of collapsing tree branches, a house being razed and a minor landslide have also been reported. Mumbai’s municipality is hard at work to address the situation, but having not made arrangements for better drainage, they are wading in troubled waters. Swim or sink seems to be the order of the day.
