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The Indian Meteorological Department forecasts heavy to very heavy rainfall to occur at few places in the districts of Raigad and Thane on Wednesday, 7 August. Heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places in Mumbai.
Train services were halted, streets were waterlogged and water even entered people’s homes in Mumbai on Sunday, 4 August as heavy downpour continued, after IMD perdicted heavy rainfall in the area on Saturday, 3 August.
Catch all the latest updates on Maharashtra rains here.
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The city of Mumbai was lashed by heavy rains on Friday, 26 July, that caused massive disruption to civilian life.
17 flights were diverted to nearby airports and four flights had to do ‘go-around' before they could land, a spokesperson of the Mumbai airport told PTI.
The last two days of rainfall in Mumbai caused waterlogging in several parts of the city, including Sion, Matunga, Mahim, Andheri, Malad and Dahisar, which led to traffic snarls at several major junctions.
Fourteen years ago on this date, Mumbai was battered by heavy rainfall, which caused havoc across the city, claiming many lives, and leaving the city paralysed.
Sounding an orange alert for Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra, the IMD predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai in the next 24 hours.
An orange alert signifies that the authorities should get ready for necessary action.
Severe waterlogging reported in Chembur area following continuous rainfall in Mumbai. Indian Meteorological Department predicts intermittent rain with heavy to very heavy falls at few places in city and suburbs.
After reaching the site where the Mahalaxmi Express was held up, Railway Protection Force and City police distributed biscuit packets and water to the stranded passengers. NDRF team to reach the spot soon.
Brijesh Singh, Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR), Maharashtra said three boats have reached the spot to rescue the 2000 passengers stranded in Mahalaxmi Express which is held up between Badlapur and Wangani.
Director of Disaster Management Unit, Abhay Yawalkar, requested Air Command, Air Force, NDRF, Navy and the Military to air lift the stranded passengers in Mahalaxmi Express.
A team of National Disaster Response Force has arrived at the location where Mahalaxmi Express is held up between Badlapur and Wangani with approximately 2000 passengers on-board.
According to CPRO, Central Railway, a total 700 passengers are on-board the train. NDRF team and Navy chopper are conducting rescue operation.
Eight flood rescue teams of the Navy, including three diving teams, have been mobilised with rescue material, inflatable boats and life jackets. A Seaking Helicopter has also been sent with divers for deployment in the area as advance assessment party.
A team of National Disaster Relief Force is also moving towards Mahalaxmi Express to rescue stranded passengers.
Heavy rains in Mumbai affected air services leading to cancellation of 11 flights and diversion of nine incoming aircraft to nearby airports on Saturday, 27 July, an official told PTI.
The operations at the city airport, however, are now normal, the official said.
The cancelled flights include seven departures and four arrivals.
"As many as 11 flights of various airlines are cancelled for today. These include seven departures and four arrivals. In addition to this, nine flights which were scheduled to arrive in Mumbai have been diverted to other nearby airports due to rains and other issues," the official said.
Of the seven departures, budget carrier IndiGo has cancelled five, while Air India and gulf carrier Emirates have cancelled one each.
IndiGo has also cancelled its three flights to Mumbai from various destinations for Saturday, the official said.
Besides, another eight incoming aircraft had to do a go-around before landing at the city airport, the official said.
A team of National Disaster Relief Force begins rescuing stranded passengers from Mahalaxmi Express.
So far, 117 people (female and children) have been rescued from the stranded Mahalaxmi Express.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has instructed the Chief Secretary to personally monitor rescue operations at Wangani where people are stranded in Mahalaxmi Express. Maharashtra CMO’s official handle tweeted that 4 teams of NDRF have reached the spot and are evacuating passengers with the help of 8 boats.
7 Navy teams, 2 helicopters of Indian Air Force, 2 Military columns have been deployed along with local administration. 2 more military columns are on the way. The situation is under control, tweeted the CMO.
A nine-month pregnant woman went into labour in the stranded Mahalaxmi Express train which has been stuck in flood waters at Vangani for around 18 hours, reported IANS.
Her panicky relatives sent out urgent appeals from the D1 bogey seeking help to rush her to a hospital.
The woman, identified as Reshma Kamble, was proceeding from Mumbai to Kolhapur for the delivery of her child but the train was stranded in Thane flood waters since Friday evening.
The CMO said the NDRF has rescued at least 9 pregnant women from the express train.
Defence Public Relations Officer said, “Due to bad weather, helicopters of Navy and Air Force have returned to base after doing aerial survey. One inflatable boat disembarked by Navy choppers will assist in rescue operations.”
All the passengers on board the Mahalaxmi Express, which was halted by floodwaters near Maharashtra’s Badlapur, have been rescued, the Central Railways’ Chief Public Relations Officer said on Saturday, 27 July. The rescue effort was called off after this.
A special train with 19 coaches will leave from Kalyan to Kolhapur with the passengers of Mahalaxmi Express, the Central Railways official added.
Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi is flooded because of heavy rainfall in the region, ANI reported. Ulhasnagar, in Thane is also flooded, ANI reported. Many parts of the state have been flooded because of the rains.
MoS Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said that the NDRF’s rescue was a success because of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah’s guidance and management.
The passenbergs rescued from Mahalaxmi Express have left for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai via a special train from Badlapur.
The IAF rescued 9 people stranded on a roof via chopper in Thane’s Kalyan.
The Indian Air Force on Saturday airlifted over 120 people stuck in different parts of Thane district in Maharashtra due to flash floods triggered by heavy rains, an official said.
While at least 70 people were stranded on the terrace of a petrol pump in Badlapur town, around 65 km from Mumbai, another 45 people were stuck at a private resort in Shahad, 46 kilometres away, the state disaster control room official told PTI.
Heavy showers since Friday night have caused the Ulhas river in the district to overflow, with water gushing onto roads in Badlapur and inundating many areas.
"A rescue operation was launched with the help of the Indian Air Force after we received a call at 11 am requesting airlift from the terrace of the petrol pump. An IAF helicopter was dispatched to the spot and also to the resort in Shahad. All of them have been rescued," the official said.
The India Meteorological Department on Saturday evening predicted "heavy to very heavy" rains in Mumbai, including "extremely heavy" rain in isolated places, for Sunday.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said it was prepared for the monsoon onslaught and asked citizens to be careful.
"BMC has alerted its citizens about the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall tomorrow accompanied by lightning during the day. The civic machinery, including the Disaster Management Cell, has been put on alert," a civic body spokesperson told PTI.
At least five trains have been cancelled and six have been diverted in Mumbai due to heavy rain and flooding of tracks, said Central Railway, reported NDTV.
A part of a river bridge linking Murbad to Kalyan in Maharashtra's Thane district got washed way in the early hours of Sunday due to heavy downpour in the region, an official said.
Murbad Tehsildar Amol Kadam told PTI that a part of a bridge on the Ulhas river in Rayta village got washed away and stretches of the road were damaged in heavy rains, in the process affecting traffic on the highway linking Mumbai to Ahmedabad in neighbouring Gujarat.
Two people died and one injured after a wall collapsed due to a landslide in Thane’s Kalwa. 19 people have been evacuated so far, reported ANI.
The Godavari river in Nashik flows above danger mark, following heavy rainfall in the region.
Two incidents of wall collapse have been reported in Pune in the last three days owing to heavy rains. While the first incident took place at Shukrawar Peth late on Sunday, the second one occurred at Kasba Peth late on Monday afternoon.
The Met department has issued a warning of "extremely heavy rains" at isolated places in Palghar, Raigad, Pune, Kolhapur and Satara districts for 4 August.
The department on Wednesday predicted "heavy to very heavy" rainfall at few places during the entire week for Konkan, and parts of south Madhya Maharashtra.
Marathwada and Vidarbha region would receive light to moderate rains till Sunday, the forecast stated.
On Wednesday, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane have received intermittent showers since morning.
Meanwhile, despite the increased activity of the south west monsoon over Maharashtra, 11 districts in the state are still deficient of their normal rainfall at the end of July, according to IMD.
After two days of moderate showers, the met department on Friday forecast "intense heavy rainfall" in Mumbai on late Saturday and Sunday.
K S Hosalikar, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, India Met Department, Mumbai, tweeted, "With the development of low pressure area over Bay, this Saturday night and Sunday, Mumbai is very likely to get intense heavy rainfalls." "Warnings are issued (for areas) including West coast," he said.
One person died while another was injured after a wall collapsed in Mumbai on Friday afternoon, a civic official said.
The incident took place in a chawl at Chandivali farm in suburban Sakinaka, where the wall of a house caved in at around 12:15 pm, said the BMC's Disaster Management Cell's official.
"Fire brigade took out two people from the debris of the wall. One of them, Chandrakant Munnappa Shetty (40), was taken to civic-run Rajawadi Hospital, where he was declared brought dead."
"The other victim, Sandeep Kadam (35), was injured and is recuperating in a private hospital," the official said.
Intense rainfall to continue in North Konkan areas including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar for the next 4-6 hours.
The trains on trans-harbour and 4th corridor towards Kharkopar on Central Railway are running smoothly. However, due to intense rains, trains on the main and the harbour line are running cautiously and are hence delayed.
Mumbai’s civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has warned citizens against venturing near the sea.
Mumbai police too, asked people to take adequate precautions and ensure safety.
Heavy waterlogging has been reported in Mumbai’s western suburban areas like Malad, Andheri, Kandivali and Dahisar, among others.
One person was electrocuted as heavy rains battered Thane district and another suffered serious injuries after the roof of a bakery in Mumbra caved in, reported PTI.
Santosh Gole was taken to Thane Civil Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Six students were reportedly washed away in a canal in Navi Mumbai, reported News18. Only four students have been rescued so far, but one among them died. Meanwhile, search operations are underway to rescue the remaining two students.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that parts of Maharashtra would be receiving heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours. This included areas like the Konkan region and Western and Central Maharashtra.
Responding to the warning of the weather department, the Maharashtra government has also requested the NDRF and SDRF to remain on standby ‘for responding to any untoward situation if it were to arise’.
The BMC meanwhile tweeted that a holiday has been declared for all schools and colleges in Mumbai.
The BMC has evacuated residents living around Mumbai’s Mithi river and transferred them to a relief camp set up at Kranti Nagar.
The civic body has also set up relief camps at various locations for commuters stranded at CST, Dadar and Kurla stations that have reported waterlogging.
Due to heavy rains, the Godavari river is just below the danger mark in Maharashtra’s Nashik, reported PTI. An official said that, Gangapur and Darna dams are 87 and 88 percent full respectively as of 3 August.
Water had to be released from Gangapur Dam into the Godavari river and people living along its banks were alerted in advance, the Irrigation department official told PTI.
The official added that water had reached the neck of the Dutondya Maruti, a statue of Hanuman on the bed of Godavari river, and just a few feet below the Ram Setu bridge.
Waterlogging on railway tracks due to heavy rains and high tide has affected movement of trains on Thane and Panvel sections of the Central Railway (CR), leaving thousands of passengers stranded at various stations.
The water level on the tracks rose due to high tide in the Arabian Sea coupled with rains in the afternoon, which caused water to flow backwards towards the Kurla, Sion and Chunabhati section, said Central Railway chief spokesperson Sunil Udasi to PTI.
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.
There have been no reports so far of injuries to anyone.
Services on all four lines between Sion and Kurla were suspended from 7:20 am due to water logging and heavy rains.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert on the rains in Mumbai. It said that rainfall will continue with gusty winds and a high tide of 4.5 m plus will occur on Sunday afternoon.
The IMD further advised people to avoid outings as far as possible. It said that the sea will be rough, and fisherman warnings, heavy rainfall warnings have been issued.
The National Defence Response Force has deployed eight teams each to Maharashtra and Gujarat to help with the rescue operations required for the incessant rains in the two states.
Four people have been injured in a landslide at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Mumbai’s Goregaon East. The injured have been shifted to the hospital. More details awaited.
The District Information Office of Pune, on Sunday said that 41,756 cusec of water will be released from Khadakwasla Dam on Mutha river on at 3:00 pm.
The water wil be released to ease the flooding of areas in the city due to the heavy rains.
As heavy rains lashed the coastal city of Mumbai on Sunday, Skymet weather released visuals of a flooded apartment building in Mumbai.
The visuals show cars in the parking lot completely submerged in the high water level, hinting at the situation at the moment.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday deployed a helicopter to rescue around 35 people who were stranded at a village in Thane district of Maharashtra following heavy rains, news agency PTI, quoted an official, as saying.
The people were stuck at their water-logged homes in Ju-Nandkhuri village near Khadavli in Kalyan taluka since 10 am, Thane's resident deputy collector Shivaji Patil said.
IAF Mi17 returned to Mumbai’s Santacruz airfield after relocating a total of 58 personnel including 16 children to safety near Nandkhuri Village near Thane .
All schools in Nashik to remain closed on 5 August, in view of continuous rainfall in the city.
All private and public schools and colleges will remain shut tomorrow due to rain alert Only those government offices providing emergency and essential services will remain open.
Passengers at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) were stranded after 12 trains were cancelled, six trains short terminated, two trains partially cancelled, and one each diverted and rescheduled due to heavy rainfall waterlogging and boulder fall between Apta-Jite section of Central Railway.
Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer said that all suburban train services are functional excpet from Ambernath to Karjat.
“All of Central Railway's suburban services are operational except Ambernath to Karjat. Staff is working round the clock to restore this section too, as soon as possible,” he said.
The Indian Meteorological depeartment has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Raigad and Thane on 6-7 August.
The IMD bulletin informed that Nashik, Kolhapur and Satara districts could receive heavy to very heavy rains on Tuesday, followed by extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places on Wednesday and Thursday.
Other districts in the state would receive light to moderate rains between Tuesday and Thursday, it said.
Indian Meteorological Department predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall to occur at few places in the districts of Raigad and Thane on Wednesday, 7 August.
It also said heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places in Mumbai.