South Mumbai received a record 300 mm rainfall in just four hours on Wednesday, as torrential rain accompanied by a wind speed of 101 km per hour, led to flood-type situation for the first time in many parts of the city, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said on Thursday.
He said the civic administration was well-prepared following an advisory on heavy rain and necessary precaution was taken to keep all coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) special hospitals unaffected.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday took stock of the situation in Mumbai, all coastal districts, and Sangli and Kolhapur, which have received heavy rainfall.
“As many as 16 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Maharashtra, of which four are in Kolhapur. The Panchaganga river in Kolhapur, and the Kodavali and the Kundalika in Ratnagiri are flowing above the danger mark. Citizens, if need arise, should be relocated to a safer place,” he said.
Mr. Chahal said Nariman Point and Colaba received a record rainfall, which was more than even the figure on July 26, 2005. “The BMC, in coordination with the Railways and the NDRF, rescued those trapped in local trains. Rain abated by midnight and water started receding.” He was speaking after visiting the site of landslide near Peddar Road in south Mumbai.
Around 290 passengers were rescued from a local train halted due to waterlogging at Masjid Bunder station. One railway employee died of electric shock while working on a motor pump at the same location, while one person was injured in Kurla after a tree fell on him.
However, catchment areas of the dams supplying water to Mumbai lag behind the last year’s rainfall. The percentage of usable water in Uppar Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tanasa, Madhya Vaitarana, and Bhatasa at present is 22.11, 46.27, 35.28, 41.73 and 44.99, respectively. In 2019, the percentage for all the dams was above 80.
According to the disaster management cell of the BMC, Colaba observatory recorded 331.8 mm rainfall while Santacruz recorded 162.3 mm rain in the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Thackeray also held a telephonic conversation on Wednesday night where the PM assured all possible help to the State.
