Mumbai: Mumbai is once again bracing to tackle heavy rains which has resulted in cancellation of local train services leaving thousands of commuters stranded.
While Mumbai is often known as the city that does not stop for anyone or anything but the very first spell of rains have disrupted the city's transport, telecom and Internet services leaving many either stranded or cooped up at home.
Heavy rains for the past week came as a relief for sun-dried Mumbai but is turning out to be a nightmare for those who are on the move as relentless down pours bring the other-wise fast city to a standstill.
Mumbai electricity board has taken into account public safety and shut down power supply to several parts of the city where water logging poses danger to human life. Parts of Mumbai could face more wate logging as high tide sets in at 2 pm today leaving little scope for flood water to drain into the sea.
The Chief Justice of Bombay HC declared a holiday which applies only to the High Court and not the rest of Mumbai. Several private firms too have allowed employees to work from home.
Sources say that high tide is expected to hit the city by afternoon. In the early hours, thousands of commuters leaving for offices were caught unaware on reaching the suburban railway stations as trains were being cancelled due to water-logging of tracks following heavy downpour since Thursday night.
As services on all three railway lines - Central, Western and Harbour - were cancelled, harried commuters rushed to catch buses, taxis or any other mode of transport available to reach their destinations, which resulted in massive traffic jams at many places, exacerbated by inundation in low-lying areas.
Water-logging is reported in areas like Kurla, Chembur, Tilak Nagar, Andheri, Parel, Lower Parel, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Dombivili.
Civic Commissioner Ajoy Mehta appealed to citizens to not send their wards to school as heavy rains are predicted. "Very heavy rains are expected today. So I have issued advisory for school children to stay at home," he told PTI.
The brand new Cleveland Pumping Station at Worli has stopped working which could invite more trouble in this devastating rains in Mumbai.
The pumping stations are used to flush out water from flooded areas into the sea during monsoons.
This failure of the pumping station could mean that the sea water can enter the city with high tide. Coupled with forecast for high rains, this could mean further waterlogging and no chance for water receding.
Central Railway authorities have now confirmed that the services will not start for at least next one hour.
Water on tracks has not receded and we are not in a position to start services, CR authorities said.
Road traffic in Mumbai was hit hard with waterlogging reported in as many as 63 spots across city.
Both Eastern and Western Express Highway were choc-a-block with bumper to bumper traffic.
Traffic has virtually come to a standstill near Tilak Bridge in Dadar, Sion Circle, SV Road in Khar, Kandivali, Sonapur in Bhandup, Pantnagar in Ghatkopar, Sarvoday Nagar in Mulund, Nayanagar in Mahim, Dharavi, Mahim-Dharavi Link Road, Yellow Bungalow near Dharavi, MTNL Junction in Bandra Kurla Complex, according to information provided by the traffic police in Mumbai.
The traffic on Mumbai-Pune expressway near Lonavla is really slow.
