Heavy rain throughout Sunday night and Monday morning led to waterlogging in several parts of Mumbai, inconveniencing office-goers and students. The city received 91.9 mm rainfall on Monday and is expected to see heavy to very heavy showers this entire week. Seven lakes supplying water to the city now have a stock of 7.22%.
At Hindmata junction, water started stagnating around 6.30 a.m. and remained till 11 a.m.. “The flooding was caused by heavy rain, and high tide around the same time. The tide took a few hours to abate, due to which water could not recede. We have opened manholes and put up submersible pumps, while pumps at Britannia pumping station are operational,” an officer from F South ward of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. The officer was referring to a high tide of 4.32 metre at 11.07 a.m..
The other notorious spot, Sion’s Gandhi Market, remained flooded for about six hours. “We have pressed 27 pumps into service and there are teams of 10-15 staffers on every site prone to flooding in Sion. We have requested for another four pumps for the entire area. These are temporary measures until the pumping station at Mahul becomes operational,” an officer from F North ward said.
Motorists on a flooded street at Parel on Monday.
In all, the BMC has made operational 32 of its 43 pumps inside pumping stations and 315 submersible pumps. Due to the large amount of trash being dumped in Mukhyadhyapak nullah, a 1000hp pump broke down, but was repaired. Waterlogging was also reported in Wadala, Kurla, Bandra’s National College, Lalbaug, Dadar TT, Senapati Bapat Road, Shivaji Park, Sion circle, Ranade road, Postal Colony, Chembur Camp, Shindewadi, Samaj Mandir Hall, Sundar Vihar, Pratiksha Nagar, Sangam Nagar, RCF Colony, Cheetah Camp, Mandala, Byculla, Hindu Colony, Rawli Camp, Mahalaxmi, GTB Nagar, SCLR bridge, and Kalachowkie.
The city received 91.9 mm rainfall in 24 hours leading to Monday morning. Between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. on Monday, the IMD’s Santacruz observatory recorded 81.8 mm rain while Colaba recorded 36.2 mm.
People venturing out for their daily work at Wadala on Monday.
According to automatic weather stations across the city, areas that received the highest rainfall on Monday include Malad West (301 mm), Worli (213 mm), Haji Ali (175 mm), Dadar (174 mm), Wadala (156 mm), Chembur (159 mm), Kurla (123 mm), BKC (214 mm), Bandra (170 mm), and Goregaon (215 mm).
On an average, the island city received 64.03 mm, eastern suburbs 73.69 mm, and western suburbs got 92.07 mm of rain. So far, Mumbai has received around 688 mm rainfall since the beginning of the monsoon, bringing it to 27.36% of the season. Of this, 550 mm was received on Sunday and Monday.
Asked if the BMC had failed to clean nullahs and prevent flooding, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Chandrashekhar Chore said, “We cannot say the BMC claims have been washed away. There are several constraints including geographic, population, rainfall, and tide. Considering how big the city is, I think we are doing fine.”
When a cyclone hit Florida, it took a very long time to come back on track, he told reporters. “We are handling biggest crises efficiently. After the 2005 floods, we brought the city back to normalcy in three days.”
Cyclists wading through waist-deep water at King’s Circle on Monday.
Meanwhile, the minimum temperature recorded was 24 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature was 27 degrees Celsius, four degrees below normal.
The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rain at a few places in Mumbai throughout the week. The weatherman has forecast extremely heavy rain at isolated places in Thane and Palghar districts on Tuesday. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. Apart from monsoon, formation of a well-marked low-pressure area over North West Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal and Odisha coasts and its likely westward movement are the reasons for the heavy rain, the IMD said.
Around 11.15 a.m. on Monday, the retaining wall of Ashoka Garden society in Sewri collapsed, but no one was injured. Since Friday, there have been 238 complaints of trees falling and 578 of branches.
Electrocution
A 30-year-old man was electrocuted at Shivaji Nagar in Govandi on Sunday night. Around 9.30 p.m., Mohammad Qayyum Ayub Kazi left his house for some work when he accidentally touched an electric pole with an open socket and got electrocuted.
“After some boys in the area informed his family, he was taken to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar,” senior inspector Deepak Pagare, Shivaji Nagar police station, said.
Mohammad was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. “It was an accidental death caused by electrocution. People should be cautious of electric poles and open sockets especially during this season,” Mr. Pagare said.