You could say Mumbai is on high alert. Unrelenting rain has set off a chain of flash floods and road snarls that have put a hold on the city. The India Meteorological Department is predicting some hard-hitting weather to last out the weekend. In some places, 200 mm in a day is not out of the question, so the advice is to stay clear of any trouble in the lower zones.
It has been a case of waterlogging in many places, with officials noting that traffic has been put back and detours are in order on the main routes. There is a risk where drains and riverfronts are running over, and emergency teams are asking people to give those areas a wide berth and pay attention to what they are being told.
What is happening on the ground
Andheri, Jogeshwari, Goregaon, Malad, Kandivali, Borivali, Dahisar, Vile Parle and Bandra have all been lashed by heavy downpours. Over in Thane, Kalyan, Badlapur and Ambernath have had their share of it, and in Vasai, Nalasopara and Virar, things have been slow and soggy.
Then there was the matter of a tree in Matunga that came down late Friday, taking out a few cars in its path. Locals put it down to the wind and the steady rain softening the ground. Nobody was hurt, but it is a reminder of the kind of things one has to contend with in this season, be it a fallen bough or a slick pavement.
Alerts and forecast explained
An orange alert is up for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad. For Pune, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and a host of others like Jalgaon, Nashik and Kolhapur, a yellow one is in effect. But in a later update, authorities put Mumbai on a red alert to run through 6 July.
According to the weather agency, the rain isn’t going to let up in much of Maharashtra until the 7th. Even if the skies over the city and its periphery are mostly grey, there will be some very heavy falls in odd corners.
Trains, travel and safety messaging
Western Railway is putting on a good show; suburban trains were moving as they should on Saturday. You can get from Churchgate to Dahanu Road and on the Harbour Line from Mahim to Goregaon without missing a beat.
Still, the rail people would have you bring an umbrella, check in on the latest and not make a trip of it when the rain is at its heaviest. The state and civic bodies are also putting out a word of caution for the ghat roads and the neighbourhoods that are always under water.
Government response and key dates
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has put it on the record: expect a lot of rain in Mumbai, Raigad, Thane, Palghar, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg from the 4th to the 6th. His office is not ruling out some hiccups with local transport or a bit of damage to property, and is calling for people to be on their guard.
The line from the top is to avoid the beaches, the rivers and any drain that is spilling over. With flash flood warnings in play, it is best to have your emergency numbers to hand and let the authorities know of any problems right away.
Emergency helplines you can use
The state has made some numbers available for when you need a hand. It is worth having these on speed dial and passing them on, particularly to the elderly or anyone in a part of town that is prone to flooding:
– Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation: 1916
– Palghar: 02525-297474 / +91 82379 78873
– Thane Municipal Corporation: 022-25364779 / 022-25301740 / +91 93723 38827
– Thane Disaster Management Cell: 1800-222-108 / 8657887101
– Panvel Municipal Corporation: 022-27458040 / 022-27458041 / 022-27458042
The wider monsoon picture
The monsoon has made its way into more of Gujarat and the rest of UP and Delhi. We are in for some active weather, with moderate to heavy rain in the offing for Central and some of Northwest India through the 9th.
You can see the effects in Valsad, where there has been some severe waterlogging. And the IMD is on to a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal that is set to dump rain on south Bengal up to the 6th, with another round for the north to follow on the 7th.
What to watch next
For the rest of the weekend, Mumbai and the Konkan can expect the odd heavy shower and some urban flooding. It is a good idea to build in some time, see what the rail and traffic situation is and not try to cut across a flooded street. More from the authorities is to be had as the bands of weather move in, with the heaviest of it due before the 7th.
