Mumbai rain updates: New flood hotspots wreak havoc

People walk through a flooded street in Kurla on Wednesday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Central Railway services came to a halt on Wednesday between Vikhroli and Bhandup on the Central line and between Govandi and Mankhurd on the Harbour line due to overflowing drains, which led to waterlogging on the tracks. The city also witnessed new waterlogging spots in Mumbai, prompting the BMC to identify local areas and the causes that result in waterlogging.

According to records, Railway services first came to a halt between Govandi and Mankhurd shortly after 7.30 pm, and later, services were also affected between Vikhroli and Bhandup. Civic officials claimed that the intensity of rain was significant in the evening, with Mankhurd recording 40 mm of rain in just 15 minutes. Additionally, rain intensity was high in the eastern suburbs, putting more pressure on the existing drainage system. Reports from the railway administration indicated that the Vidhyavihar and Somaiya nullahs were also overflowing, causing the stoppage of services.

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Civic data showed that Mankhurd recorded 276.20 mm of rainfall between 6 pm and 10 pm on Wednesday, while Bhandup recorded 198.39 mm. The average rainfall in the eastern suburbs during this timeframe was 167.48 mm. Some of the new flooding spots include Mankhurd, Govandi, Godrej Jetty in Vikhroli East, and Powai. "Although there is very little human settlement around Godrej Jetty, the overflow of water affected them too," said an official.

A civic official from the Stormwater Drain Department stated that BMC officials have started listing new flooding areas. "If rain intensity is the reason behind the new flooding areas, we will try to improve the local drainage system. If there are other local issues, we will address them as soon as possible," the official added.

Additional Municipal Commissioner, Abhijit Bangar, told mid-day, "I have already asked officers to prepare a list of new flooding spots. Our team will visit each spot to identify the issues. After studying these spots, we will make decisions accordingly to fix the problems. Our focus will be on the areas where the railway and roads were affected by waterlogging," Bangar added. A team of local officials has already started visiting these spots, and reports are likely to be completed within three to four days, he added.