Mumbai rain updates: Traffic back on track after heavy rains; schools closed after IMD alert

Vehicular and rail traffic in Mumbai resumed on Thursday a day after heavy rains battered the city inundating lowlying areas halting local trains in their tracks and forcing the diversion of at least 14 incoming flightsA 45yearold woman drowned in a drain overflowing due to heavy rains in suburban Andheri on Wednesday police saidRains stopped in most parts of the city on Thursday morning though skies were overcastLocal trains considered the lifeline of Mumbai were running normally though some services were slightly delayed as per officialsBuses of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport BEST undertaking also hit the roads since early morningThe Indian Meteorological Department in its Mumbai rain updates earlier issued a red alert for Mumbai and its adjoining districts Thane Palghar and Raigad for Thursday morningThe civic body in its Mumbai rain updates said the IMD has predicted thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and heavy to very heavy rainfall with gusty winds reaching 4050 kmph in its weather update issued at 8 amThe extremely heavy rainfall in Mumbai on Wednesday prompted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC to announce a holiday for all schools and colleges on ThursdaySchools and colleges in Thane Palghar Pune and PimpriChinchwad were also closed on Thursday after heavy rainsThe Mumbai civic body and police have advised people in the city and surrounding areas to stay indoors as much as possibleMumbaikars if not required avoid stepping out of home the BMC posted on XAfter heavy rains on Wednesday some roads including in Sonapur area of Bhandup virtually turned into rivers of fastmoving water as several areas received more than 100 mm of rain in five hours of eveningThe GhatkoparAndheri Road Khairani Road LBS Marg and a few other roads were flooded with chestdeep water at some locationsMany people complained their belongings were damaged as water had entered their homesAs local trains stopped on Wednesday between Kurla and Thane stations on the Central line thousands of commuters were stranded at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus CSMT in south Mumbai and other stations while there were traffic jams at various placesThe Central Railways suburban services were thrown out of gear at night for a few hours when the railway tracks got submerged at a few locations between Sion and Thane stations on its main corridor and between Chunabhatti and Mankhurd stations on the Harbour corridorA Maharashtra Security Force personnel deputed at Kalachowki police station told PTI that he boarded a fast train from Thane station for Byculla in Mumbai at 8 pm on Wednesday and reached Chinchpokli station at 1255 am normally covered in 45 minutesThe Mithi river along with other water bodies and drains had swelled after extremely heavy rainsOn Wednesday night the Mithi river rose to its maximum level of 390 metres On Thursday morning it was flowing at 15 metres the BMC saidIn the 24 hourperiod ending at 8 am on Thursday the island city eastern suburbs and western suburbs recorded 11718 mm 17058 mm and 10875 mm rainfall respectivelyBetween 5 pm and 10 pm the island city eastern suburbs and western suburbs received 8779 mm 16748 mm and 9557 mm downpour respectivelyMankhurd and Powai areas in eastern suburbs recorded more than 275 mm rains during the period as per BMC dataMumbai municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani has asked all assistant commissioners to ensure that respective executive engineers stay put in ward control roomsCentral Railways chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila told PTI All local trains are running normally On the main line 34 minutes behind schedule because of rescheduled Mail Express train movements and few cautions Rest all normalWestern Railways suburban services which were mostly unaffected as there was no waterlogging on tracks anywhere between Churchgate and Virar stations were also running normally since morning an official told PTIA BEST spokesperson also said their operations were normal though 28 buses including seven hired from private contractors broke down due to waterlogging at some roads in the cityWith inputs from PTI