Mumbai rains updates | July 18, 2021

July 18, 2021 08:05 am | Updated 11:19 pm IST - Mumbai

Rescue operation underway in Chembur's Bharat Nagar area of Mumbai

Rescue operation underway in Chembur's Bharat Nagar area of Mumbai

At least 31 persons, including eight minors, lost their lives in Mumbai as incessant rain from Saturday night and throughout Sunday triggered a landslip, house collapse and electrocution.

The Regional Meteorological Centre of Mumbai has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places, with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said more than 200 mm of rainfall was recorded between 11 p.m. on Saturday and 4 a.m. on Sunday. A BMC centre at Dahisar recorded the highest 226.82 mm of rainfall, followed by Chembur with 218.45 mm.

 

Here are the latest updates:

4.45 pm

Very sad: former BJP MP

Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya visited the Bharatnagar locality in Mahul area of Mumbai where 17 people died after a compound wall collapsed following a landslide in the early hours of Sunday.

"People are scared. So far, 17 deaths and 23 injuries are reported. Mafia contractors of the municipal corporation and slum mafia are playing with the lives of the poor people," he alleged.

This is very sad, the BJP leader added.  — PTI

4.30 pm

Uddhav Thackeray takes stock of rescue operations

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray spoke to Mumbai civic commissioner I.S. Chahal and took stock of the rescue and relief operations.

He directed the authorities to ensure coordination among the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), municipal workers, fire brigade and police for rescue operations.

A statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said the kin of each of the victims will get an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh and the injured will be treated free of cost.

Mr. Thackeray was in constant touch with the civic disaster control room since heavy rains started pounding the city on Saturday night.

The statement said Mr. Thackeray has asked the authorities to be alert and keep a watch since the weather forecast has predicted heavy rains on Sunday also.

The CM said those living on the Mithi river bank and other places close to the shore should be evacuated early.

Mr. Thackeray also asked authorities to ensure medical facilities in jumbo COVID-19 centres are not affected because of the heavy rains.

"Steps should be taken to drain out rain water from low-lying areas. Roads should be cleared for vehicular traffic movement. Steps should be taken to restore the suburban railway service at the earliest," he said. — PTI

4.00 pm

After wall collapse, two women stood on wooden ladder for two hours over fear of electrocution

Two women stood on a wooden ladder in their shanty for over two hours out of the fear of getting electrocuted after a wall near their locality collapsed in Mumbai's Mahul area on July 18 following heavy rains.

Laxmi Jongankar (40) was inside her shanty when people outside started shouting about the wall collapse in the area.

She opened the window of her house and saw other shanties were destroyed. But, she did not notice that the debris has entered her house also and damaged it.

“As people panicked and start shouting that electric current spread in the locality, I along with another woman relative stood on a wooden ladder in my shanty. After more than two hours, a man came to enquire about us and asked us to come out," she said. — PTI

3.50 pm

Vihar Lake starts overflowing

Heavy overnight rains in Mumbai has led to Vihar Lake overflowing on July 18 morning, a civic official said.

A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation statement said Vihar Lake, with a storage capacity of 27,698 million litres, is the smallest of the water bodies that are part of the supply mechanism to the metropolis.

The lake, built in 1859, supplies 90 million litres per day (MLD), the civic body informed. — PTI

3.30 pm

Water complex hit, boil drinking water, BMC tells citizens

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Sunday asked citizens to boil water before drinking as heavy rains over the last two days had led to flooding in the water purification complex at Bhandup.

The flooding has affected electrical equipment that control the pumping and filtration processes there, one of the major sites of water supply to the country's financial capital, he said.

While the pumping mechanism would be restored in a few hours, much more time will be taken to get the filtration process up and running, the official said, adding that boiling water before drinking was the best precaution at the moment.

The inundation at the complex has affected water supply in most parts of the metropolis, the official added. - PTI

12.10 pm

CM Uddhav Thackeray announces financial aid

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray announces a financial aid of ₹5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. He added that the treatment of injured individuals will be free of cost.

11.30 am

PM Modi expresses sadness at loss of lives

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish at the loss of lives caused by wall collapse incidents in Mumbai due to heavy rains.

His office also announced ₹2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. A sum of ₹50,000 would be given to the injured.

"Saddened by the loss of lives due to wall collapses in Chembur and Vikhroli in Mumbai. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. Praying that those who are injured have a speedy recovery," Mr. Modi said. — PTI

11.05 am

Trains services have resumed: Central Railways

In an update by 11 a.m. the Central Railways said that trains on all corridors are running now. Trians on the main line, Trans harbour line, Belapur/Nerul-Kharkopar line are running and services on the Harbour line have resumed, the Central Railways said.

Water shortage

Meanwhile, many parts in Mumbai may face water shortage as power supply to Bhandup treatment plant was cut off due to water logging.

10.50 am

President expresses grief

In a message tweeted in Hindi President Ram Nath Kovind said he is deeply saddened by the news of the casualties due to heavy rains in Chembur and Vikhroli in Mumbai, and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished complete success in the rescue and relief efforts.

10.00 am

17 killed in Chembur, 3 in Vikhroli

Water logging in Hindmata area, after heavy rains, in Mumbai

Water logging in Hindmata area, after heavy rains, in Mumbai

 

Seventeen people died in two different incidents of house-wall collapse in Mumbai at early morning on Sunday due to incessant rains in the city. Two have been hospitalised with injuries.

At Vashi Naka area in Chembur, twelve people died after the retaining wall of a house collapsed after a tree fell on it at 1 a.m. According to preliminary information from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), two more people are being treated at Rajawadi hospital.

In the second incident, three people died at Surya Nagar in Vikhroli after 4-5 hutments collapsed due to a landslip at 2.40 a.m. Two more were injured and have been admitted to a nearby hospital.

At many places in the city, the rainfall mark crossed 200 mm within a couple of hours.

9 am

Suburban train service suspended

The suburban train services on both Central Railway and Western Railway in the financial capital were suspended due to water logging in the tracks due to the overnight heavy downpour, railway officials said.

The rain fury reminded some Mumbaikars of the the 24-hour rainfall figure of 944 mm on July 26, 2005.

Central railway services were disrupted due to water-logging at various stations in Mumbai. Visual from Chunabhatti Railway Station in the city.

Central railway services were disrupted due to water-logging at various stations in Mumbai. Visual from Chunabhatti Railway Station in the city.

 

Following the heay rains, Western Railway announced suspension of suburban services due to water logging at "multiple locations." "@WesternRly Currently No local train services are running in both UP and DN direction till further notice due to water logging at multiple locations," divisional railway manager of Western Railway's Mumbai division tweeted.

Central Railway said that due to water logging in tracks at Dadar, Parel, Matunga, Kurla, Sion, Bhandup and other locations, train services on main line were suspended between CSMT and Thane.

"CSMT to Vashi services, including Bandra/Goregaon suburban services, are also not working," said Shivaji Sutar, chief spokesperson of Central Railway.

Several long distance trains on both Central railway and Western Railway were affected due to the flooded tracks.

Before the pandemic, both Central Railway and Western Railway used to ferry over 75 lakh commuters daily on their over 3000 suburban services. The suburban services during the pandemic are restricted to emergency services staff and government employees.

 

IMD issues red alert in Mumbai

A sudden change in climatic conditions led to Mumbai witnessing over 100 mm rainfall in six hours, the IMD said in an early morning bulletin.

A sudden change in climatic conditions led to Mumbai witnessing over 100 mm rainfall in six hours, the IMD said in an early morning bulletin.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Mumbai in the backdrop of heavy rains, a BMC official said.

Alerts by the IMD are colour-coded from green to red. A 'green' alert stands for 'no warning': no action needs to be taken by the authorities, and the forecast is of light to moderate rain. A 'red' alert stands for "warning", and asks authorities to "take action". An ‘orange’ alert indicates that the authorities are expected to “be prepared”.

A sudden change in climatic conditions led to Mumbai witnessing over 100 mm rainfall in six hours, the IMD said in an early morning bulletin. It also changed the rains forecast for the city from orange to red alert.

The IMD said that till 6.30 a.m. on Sunday, Mumbai and adjoining areas received over 120 mm rainfall in preceding 12 hours.

Mumbai would receive “heavy to very heavy” rainfall at a few places with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places, the IMD said.

Extremely heavy rainfall means precipitation of more than 204.5 mm in 24 hours, while heavy rainfall ranges between 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm rainfall, as per the IMD.

The bulletin issued at 3 a.m. said IMD recorded 213 mm rainfall at Santacruz, 197.5 mm at Bandra and 174 mm at Colaba in the city.

(With inputs from PTI)

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