Mumbai has been hit with relentless heavy rains, causing widespread waterlogging and significant disruptions in suburban train services. In just six hours, the city recorded over 300 mm of rainfall, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and the Konkan belt.
Ram Karan Yadav, General Manager of Central Railway, provided an update on the situation, stating, “It has been raining heavily since night. More than 300 mm of rain has fallen in 6 hours. We are monitoring the situation and trying to keep the trains running. Due to heavy rains, especially on the main line, there is waterlogging around Kurla Bhandup and here on the Harbour Line, from Wadala to Mankhurd, it is closed because there is a lot of water logging around Chunabhatti. These services are disrupted… We have cancelled some trains and diverted some trains… I appeal to people not to leave their homes unless it is necessary.”
Vikhroli’s Veer Savarkar Marg Municipal School and MCMCR Powai reported the highest rainfall, recording over 315 mm in the last 24 hours. Visuals from across the city showed people wading through waist-deep waters and cars lined bumper to bumper on Mumbai roads. All government, private, and municipal schools and colleges have been shut across the city.
At Dombivli station, commuters waited for trains on submerged tracks. Waterlogging was also reported from Worli, Buntara Bhavan in Kurla East, King’s Circle area of Mumbai, Dadar, and Vidyavihar Railway Station. Over 30 lakh commuters use the suburban local train services in Mumbai and neighboring Thane, Palghar, and Raigad every day.
Train services between Kasara and Titwala stations in Thane district were suspended after soil covered the tracks between Atgaon and Thansit stations, disrupting rail traffic on the busy Kalyan-Kasara route. The tracks were declared unsafe around 6:30 am, causing further delays and cancellations. Several trains were diverted, rescheduled, or terminated due to waterlogging between Kalyan and Kasara stations in the Mumbai division.
Officials have said that if the rain stops for over two hours, the waterlogging will subside. However, the IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in Mumbai throughout the day. Due to heavy rainfall and flash floods on the Vasind-Khardi section between 3 am and 6 am, the track embankment got damaged, further complicating travel.
Several teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Thane, Vasai (Palghar), Mahad (Raigad), Chiplun (Ratnagiri), Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Ghatkopar, Kurla, and Sindhudurg. The NDRF rescued 49 people from a water-logged resort in Thane and 16 villagers in Palghar, using boats and life jackets to evacuate those stranded due to flooding.
