Monsoon rains: NDRF teams kept on standby; IMD says heavy downpour may continue in next 24 hours

Updated: Sunday, August 4, 2019, 3:42 [IST]

Mumbai, Aug 03: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said more heavy rainfall is expected in Mumbai and other regions of Maharashtra like Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg during the next 24 hours.

On Saturday, at least three people were killed in separate rain-related incidents in the state. Deputy Director-General of Meteorology (IMD Mumbai) KS Hosalikar tweeted that intense rainfall is expected in Mumbai, Thane and Navy Mumbai in the coming 24-36 hours.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mumbai's 11.45 pm bulletin on August 3 says that intense spells of rain are very likely to continue with gusty winds reaching 30-40 kmph in the districts of Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg during next 4 hours.

Monsoon rains: Waterlogging in Mumbai, schools shut in Thane — Representational Image

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) tweeted that a holiday has been declared for schools and colleges in the city.

"The IMD gave a warning of extremely heavy rainfall for the next 24 hours from 1 pm on August 3. Citizens should avoid venturing around sea also at water-logged areas," reports quoted BMC statement as saying.

The heavy rainfall has caused waterlogging at various places across the city including Motilal Nagar, Goregaon West; SV Road, Goregaon West; SV Road, Jogeshwari West; Oberoi Junction, Malad East; Malad Subway and Dahisar Subway.

Meanwhile, 63 people of Sonyachi Vaadi village in Raigad were shifted to a safer place using boats by the Police following flood like situation in the area due to continuous rainfall, reports quoted Raigad Police as saying.

As per latest update, Mumbai Airport said flight operations are normal with delays of 15 minutes in arrivals and 30 minutes in departures.

CSMT (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus)-Vashi route has been cleared. Services on this section also resume. All Central Railway suburban corridors are now operational.

Teams of the National Disaster Relief Force have been kept on standby for quick response if any untoward situation is to arise.

The Central Line services were suspended between Thane and CSMT due to water-logging on tracks at Thane Railway station. Meanwhile, 6 students washed away in a canal in Navi Mumbai. 1 among the 4 rescued students has died. Search operations are underway to rescue the remaining 2.

The BrihanMumbai Municipal corporation (BMC) has asked people not to venture into the sea as a precautionary measure. Local train services on Central as well as Western lines are 15 to 20 minutes late.

Meanwhile, all government schools to remain closed in Thane, Palghar today.

Following a landslide caused by rainfall near Mauje Dhamandevi village in Raigarh, Mumbai-Goa national highway in Maharashtra was closed for traffic. The road-clearing operation is underway by the police and administration.

The Mumbai police issued a notification specifying the roads where traffic was affected. The roads mentioned are:

SV Road Andheri Subway
Siddheshwar mandir jetty in Malad
SV Road, Behram Baug in Jogeshwari
Hanuman nagar and Akurli Road in Kandivali east
SardarPratap Singh, sankool Janta market at Bhadup
Link Road Inorbit and Infinity mall complete stretch
Kings Circle on Eastern Express Highway
Kanjurmarg West and Gandhi Nagar
Jankalyan Nagar at Malad west
JVLR Western Suburbs Vikhroli Road connecting Western and Eastern Express Highways
Netaji Palkar Chowk
JB Nagar Andheri east
Kandivali east station road
Dahisar Highway near check post
Hindmata near Dadar
Samta Nagar in Kandivali east

Maharashtra rains: Two girls drown:

A picnic at a forbidden waterfall in Navi Mumbai proved fatal for at least two teenage girls from Navi Mumbai on Saturday, officials said. Four girls from a college in Nerul were washed away at the famous Pandavkada waterfall this noon, a Kharghar police station officer said, adding that bodies of two of them have been recovered while two others are missing. The deceased are identified as Neha Jain and Aarti Nayak, aged around 19. Jain and Nayak had visited the waterfall to enjoy rains with their friends, the officer said. The access to the waterfall is forbidden due to treacherous terrain. Police are now investigating how the four teenagers reached the waterfall.

Gujarat Rains: Schools to remain closed in Surat

Schools and colleged in Surat and southern Gujarat will remain closed today as the state experiences extremely heavy rainfall.

Odisha rains updates:

Heavy rains lashed several parts of Odisha and with weatherman Saturday forecasting more downpour in the state in the next four days, the government has put five districts on alert. A fresh low pressure area is likely to form over northeast Bay of Bengal and its neighbourhood in the next 48 hours which may enhance rainfall in the state till August 7, H R Biswas, Director of the meteorological centre here, said.

In view of the forecast, the state government has issued an advisory to the collectors of Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Nuapada districts to closely monitor the situation as heavy rains may create flood-like situation in these areas, officials said.