The Hindu : Front Page : Rain throws Mumbai out of gear

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Thursday, Jul 09, 2009
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Front Page

Rain throws Mumbai out of gear

Staff Reporter

Flooded streets confront commuters; father and son electrocuted

— Photo: Vivek Bendre

Monsoon ordeal: People wade through a flooded street in south Mumbai on Wednesday. Heavy rain lashed the city, resulting in flooding of low-level areas.

MUMBAI: Mumbai got off to a wet start on Wednesday as incessant downpour the previous night caused severe waterlogging in several places across the bustling metropolis. A father-son duo was electrocuted near a slum in suburban Kandivali, the police said.

By 8.30 a.m. Wednesday, the Colaba and Santacruz stations of the Regional Meteorological Centre recorded 73.7 mm and 32.2 mm of rain.

Flooded streets greeted rush-hour crowds at Parel, Wadala, Sion, Elphinstone, Grant Road and Do Taki and in the congested Gol Deul area at Bhendi Bazaar. Commuters waded through long stretches of knee-deep waters.

Trains, flights delayed

Train schedules went awry for a few hours, grounding many office-goers. Heavy bunching (trains lined up in one area) was reported between Parel and Byculla from 8 to 9.30 a.m.

At the Grant Road and Mumbai Central stations on the Western line, water entered the rail track, a railway spokesperson said.

Local services were delayed on average by 20-25 minutes. At some stations, the delay was up to 45 minutes.

The Sinhagad Express, an outstation train which shuttles between Mumbai and Pune, was also delayed.

By afternoon, train services were regulated. In some parts, taximen refused to operate towards the suburbs. Rows of taxis could be seen parked along flyovers and roads. Other vehicles crawled, leading to traffic jams in many places. In anticipation of a high tide at 1.26 p.m., authorities closed floodgates. As a result, streets remained under water long after it had stopped pouring.

Flights also suffered a delay of 15-30 minutes. However, there was no diversion or cancellation. The Air Traffic Control suspended runway operations for half hour due to poor visibility, an airport spokesperson said.

The weather bureau has predicted spells of rain or thundershowers for the next 24 hours. Elsewhere in Maharashtra, the Nagpur bureau has issued warnings of heavy rain during the next 24 hours in the Vidarbha region.

Previous reports:

Assam flood situation critical

Weak monsoon: KSEB walks a tightrope

Winning the gamble against the monsoons

Monsoon covers entire country

Monsoon covers about 80 per cent of country

Hopes rise as monsoon advances

Good tidings on monsoon front

Monsoon delay raises concerns

Monsoon prospects — Editorial

Images: Delayed monsoon, cause for worry

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