Red alert in Mumbai: Schools, colleges shut due to heavy rainfall; trains face delay amid waterlogging
Red alert in Mumbai: Continuous rains lashed Mumbai and surrounding areas, affecting suburban train services and flight operations. Some places in Mumbai experienced more than 300 mm of rain in just six hours, ending at 7 a.m., flooding highways and low-lying regions.
Heavy rains battered the city throughout the day, increasing residents' difficulties and forcing schools to close. There was no respite in sight as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a 'red' alert for Mumbai on Tuesday, anticipating heavy rain.
Despite the setting up of high-capacity pumps in low-lying regions, Central Railway services were severely disrupted due to rain-induced waterlogging, causing thousands of passengers to be impacted as local trains remained on track for hours.
Many out-station trains on the way to Mumbai were stopped.
After restarting services earlier in the day, Central Railway's Harbour line services were suspended for a length of time on Monday night due to track waterlogging.
Flight services at Mumbai's airport were significantly hampered by poor visibility following heavy rains, resulting in runway closures for more than an hour and the cancellation of about 50 flights, according to sources.
They added that IndiGo operated 42 of the 50 cancelled flights (including arrivals and departures) till 11 a.m., while Air India operated six.
The government-owned Alliance Air had to cancel two flights (one departure and one arrival) on Monday, according to the source.
Schools and junior colleges in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Pune, and rural Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg will be closed on Tuesday due to the IMD's heavy rainfall alert, according to an official.
On Tuesday, the meteorological office issued a red alert for Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Satara, Pune, and Sindhudurg districts, as well as an orange advisory for Thane and Palghar.
- PTC NEWS
