Accident on Mumbai Coastal Road causes traffic jam

Pic/Kirti Surve Parade

Traffic movement on the Mumbai Coastal Road was affected due to an accident involving two vehicles on Thursday morning, officials told news agency PTI.

The incident occurred around 10.30 am when a vehicle crashed into another on the south-bound lane of the new road, an official told PTI.

Police closed the lane for some time and diverted traffic due to which congestion was witnessed on the Mumbai Coastal Road.

The accident-hit vehicles were later removed with the help of cranes and traffic movement was normalised, he said.

The Mumbai Coastal Road project aims to provide a direct connection with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, reducing travel time between south Mumbai and suburbs and improving the overall commuting experience.

Meanwhile, heavy rains lashed Mumbai and its suburbs on Thursday, causing waterlogging on roads in some areas that led to traffic snarls and also delayed local train operations.

Owing to incessant rains in the catchment areas, Vihar and Modak Sagar lakes started overflowing. With this, four of the seven reservoirs providing potable water to the metropolis are now overflowing, which improved the overall water stock, officials said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted moderate to heavy rainfall in the city and suburbs with possibility of very heavy rainfall at isolated places in next 24 hours starting 8 am.

Due to incessant rains, the water level of Mithi river, which runs through the industrial hub of the city, rose to 2.5 metres, while its danger mark is 4.2 metres, an official said, adding that a high tide of 4.64 metres has been predicted in the Arabian Sea at 2.51 pm.

Vihar lake, one of the seven lakes supplying water to Mumbai, started overflowing at around 3.50 am, while Modak Sagar started overflowing at 10.40 am, the officials said.
Powai and Tulsi lakes have already started overflowing.

The IMD forecast that Mumbai will most likely witness occasional gusty winds reaching 50-60 kmph, they said.

In the 24 hours ending 8 am on Thursday, the island city recorded 44 mm rainfall, its eastern and western suburbs 90 mm and 89 mm rainfall, respectively, a civic official said.

Some low-lying areas saw waterlogging due to the heavy rains since early morning, forcing the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), which operates passenger buses in the city, to divert its vehicles on half a dozen routes in Aarey Colony.

Commuters complained that the suburban services operated by the Western Railway and the Central Railway were running 10-15 minutes late.

(With inputs from PTI)