Overnight rain disrupts Mumbai trains, floods low-lying areas; landslide at Malshej Ghat

Mumbaikars woke up to heavy overnight rain on Wednesday (June 24), which disrupted suburban train services and inundated low-lying areas, causing hardship to commuters.

Parts of the metropolis received more than 200 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8 am, officials said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate to heavy showers accompanied by thunder and lightning in Mumbai and its suburbs over the next 24 hours.

200 mm rain in 24 hours

The island city recorded an average rainfall of 195 mm, while the western suburbs received 208 mm and the eastern suburbs 167 mm during the 24 hours ending at 8 am, according to civic data.

The southwest monsoon reached Mumbai on Tuesday (June 23), 13 days after its normal onset date, bringing widespread rainfall across the city and suburbs and much-needed relief from the sweltering heat.

The overnight rain, however, led to waterlogging in several low-lying areas of the city by Wednesday morning, affecting road traffic and the daily commute of thousands of residents.

Trains hit

Civic officials said water accumulation was reported at the Andheri subway, Hindmata and King’s Circle areas during the early morning hours, affecting vehicular movement and leading to traffic congestion on key roads.

Suburban railway services were also affected as rainwater accumulated on tracks at some locations, though officials said the water level remained below the danger mark prescribed for suspending train operations.

Several commuters complained of delayed services and overcrowded local trains during the morning peak hours, particularly on Central Railway corridors.

Lines restored

The heavy rain also affected Central Railway’s Trans-Harbour line services between Thane and Vashi/Panvel in neighbouring Navi Mumbai after a track cave-in caused by excessive water flow between Turbhe and Koparkhairane stations.

A Central Railway spokesperson said the up line on the Thane-Vashi section was declared unsafe at 5.06 am, while the down line was declared unsafe at 5.50 am, affecting train operations during the morning rush hour.

The up line was restored at 7.27 am with a speed restriction of 10 kmph, while the down line was declared safe at 7.35 am with trains permitted to run at 30 kmph. “The track caved in because of excess water flow,” the official said.

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Commuters faced delays and overcrowding at several stations as train services were regulated following the incident. Western Railway services, however, were operating normally despite the heavy rainfall, officials said.

High tide

A high tide of 3.41 metres was recorded at 8.28 am, while another high tide of 3.35 metres is expected at 7.41 pm, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

Generally, heavy downpours combined with high tide lead to waterlogging in the metropolis, which is surrounded by the Arabian Sea.

Officials said civic and disaster management teams were on alert and monitoring rain-related incidents across the metropolis as rainfall activity is expected to continue.

Landslide at Malshej Ghat

Earlier, the IMD issued a red alert for Mumbai and Palghar at 4 am on Wednesday, valid for three hours, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, intense to very intense rainfall, and winds of 40-60 kmph. It was downgraded to an orange alert at 7 am for the next three hours, with moderate to intense spells of rain forecast for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar and Sindhudurg districts.

Heavy rains also lashed Thane and Palghar districts over 24 hours, triggering a landslide at the scenic Malshej Ghat and leading to dozens of complaints of tree falls.

A minor landslide was reported on Tuesday evening along the vital Malshej Ghat stretch, which connects Thane and Pune districts, Thane's Resident Deputy Collector Sandeep Mane said.

Tree crashes on car

The incident occurred between the “wash point” and “umbrella point” at the ghat between 6 pm and 7 pm on Tuesday, according to district disaster management authorities.

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Earth-excavating machines were immediately deployed at the spot. Debris was cleared swiftly, and traffic movement along the ghat section remained smooth without any casualties, Mane said.

As many as 27 complaints were received over the last 24 hours in Thane, including 18 of tree or branches falling and four fire-related calls, regional disaster management cell (RDMC) chief Yasin Tadvi said.

A large tree collapsed on two cars parked on a roadside in the Charai area of Thane city on Wednesday morning, damaging the two vehicles. Local disaster cell staff and fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot. The work to cut and remove the debris was underway. No one was injured in the incident, Tadvi said.

Bhatsa Dam receives 20 mm of rain in 24 hours

Thane city recorded 77.97 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Wednesday, taking the season’s total to 81.26 mm. Last year, it recorded 755.63 mm of rainfall for the same period, as per the RDMC.

The Bhatsa Dam in Shahapur taluka, a major source of water for the region, recorded 20 mm of rain in the last 24 hours. The dam’s water level currently stands at 108.79 metres, with the useful water storage recorded at 29.22 per cent of its total capacity. No sewage or water discharge has been initiated from the dam yet, officials said.

(With agency inputs)