Heavy rain in Mumbai; Orange alert issued for three-four days

CM Eknath Shinde directed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to relocate the people to safe locations in the areas of Konkan where heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected.

As heavy rains lashed Mumbai and parts of coastal Maharashtra, the State’s newly sworn-in Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday rushed to the Disaster Management Cell of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and took stock. He directed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to relocate the people to safe locations in the areas of Konkan where heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected. Mr. Shinde said that around 3,500 people in different parts of the State had been relocated to safer areas following heavy downpours.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert in Mumbai for the next three to four days. On Tuesday, several areas of Mumbai such as Sion and Chunabhatti witnessed water-logging. Central Railway in the evening said that its services on Main, Harbour and Trans-Harbour lines were running with delays but trains were not held up anywhere. Western Railway services, too, were running normally despite heavy rainfall.

“There are 25 spots in the city [Mumbai], which in case of waterlogging can lead to the stoppage of railway lines. I have instructed the BMC to keep alternate mode of transport available for passengers by providing BEST (Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport) and ST (State Transport) buses,” Mr. Shinde said.

As rainfall continued, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray tweeted, pointing out that the Hindmata area, which usually gets flooded, had not faced water-logging due to the steps taken by the BMC. “Karun Dakhvla” (we did it), he tweeted.

The Opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) asked Mr. Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to stop wasting time on accepting felicitations for capturing power and instead help the people of the State suffering due to the heavy rainfall.