Torrential rains batter Mumbai, Konkan region

Torrential rains battered Mumbai and the entire coastal Konkan region on Saturday, severely hitting normal life due to waterlogging in many parts, besides affecting road, rail and air transport.

The country's commercial capital received continuous heavy to very heavy rains during the past 24 hours which flooded low-lying areas of central Mumbai with people wading about in knee-deep waters in Dadar, Parel, Worli, Andheri and other suburbs.

All flights to and from Mumbai were delayed by 30-45 minutes owing to poor visibility and turnaround time.

Local train services on the Western Railway, Central Railway and Harbour Line were running 15-20 minutes behind schedules due to waterlogging on tracks in some sections during the day.

Huge traffic jams were witnessed in most parts of the city for multiple reasons, including heavy rains, low visibility, bad roads conditions and large potholes, breakdown of vehicles and two accidents in the eastern suburbs.

Waterlogging in Sasunavghar, in Vasai region of Palghar district caused heavy disruption in traffic, both goods and passengers on the busy Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway.

A landslide in Ratnagiri brought traffic to a halt for several hours on the busy Mumbai-Goa Highway this afternoon.

Around 15 small and medium rivers in the Konkan were overflowing and inundated several low-lying villages and towns in the past 24 hours, affecting normal life.

Waterlogging hit parts of Thane, Palghar, Ratnagiri, and water seeped into homes and shops in these areas causing severe problems to the people.

The Indian Meteorological Department here has forecast heavy to very heavy rains in the Konkan-Goa-Mumbai coast during the next 48 hours. Fishermen have been warned not to venture out in boats due to choppy Arabian Sea and a cautionery Signal No. 3 has been hoisted at all ports in Maharashtra from Dahanu to Mormugoa.

In Lonavala, the Bhushi Dam overflowed spreading cheers among thousands of tourists from Mumbai and Pune who throng to this favourite monsoon picnic spot each year. Even the Powai Lake in northeast Mumbai, which supplies water to industries in Mumbai overflowed this afternoon.

However, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation officials were concerned owing to insufficient water supply in the catchment areas of lakes on the outskirts of Mumbai which supply drinking water to the city's 1.75 crore people.

According to IMD, in the past 24 hours, Mumbai city notched 97 mm rains while Mumbai suburbs recorded 163 mm, adding to the season's total of around 646.1 mm and 843.1 mm respectively.

Over the next 48 hours, the monsoon is expected to spread across entire Maharashtra, including the parched Marathwada region.

--IANS

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