Mumbai monsoon: First heavy showers expose BMC's rain-ready claims

Heavy rains threw Mumbaiites’ daily lives out of gear today as most parts of city and suburbs reported serious water-logging cases which led to disruption in traffic. The first day of heavy rains this monsoon also exposed the civic body’s poor monsoon preparedness.

Water-logging cases were reported in the city and suburbs including at the chronic flooding spots such as Hindmata, Sion, Milan Subway, Andheri Subway, Andheri Subway, Kurla, Sion Subhash Nagar and RC Marg in Chembur, as well as some other areas.

The civic body’s disaster control room was flooded with complaints of water-logging and trees falling, from across the city. “We have received hundreds of complaints about water-logging from the city and suburbs. There are over 60 complaints about trees falling. Around 94 de-watering pumps have been pressed into action in the flooded areas to flush out water,” said an official from the BMC’s control room.

While the city received 8.38 mm rainfall till 12 noon, the Eastern and Western Suburbs received 46.81 mm and 31.48 mm rainfall respectively until noon, according to the disaster cell of the civic body.

The rains also disrupted railway traffic in Mumbai as the water-logged tracks of central railway’s main line and harbour line hit services. Local trains on both the lines were running late with some commuters reporting an hour-long delay between Kurla and Vidyavihar stations.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the city would receive a spell of heavy rainfall today. “The weather conditions are favorable and the city is likely to get good rainfall this weekend,” said an official from IMD, Mumbai.