Heavy rainfall disrupts normal life in Mumbai; rail services hit, routes closed
Mumbai: Continuous heavy rainfall has severely affected normal life in Mumbai and adjoining regions, prompting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to issue a weather advisory warning of intense rainfall, strong winds, and high tides. Railway services have also been disrupted due to waterlogging and landslides, while authorities have urged citizens to avoid travelling between Mumbai and Pune until further notice.
According to the BMC’s weather forecast issued at 8 a.m. on Monday, Mumbai city and its suburbs are expected to witness continuous spells of rain. Very heavy rainfall is likely at a few places, with extremely heavy rainfall expected at isolated locations. Occasional gusty winds reaching speeds of 60-70 kmph are also very likely.
The BMC has advised residents to remain alert, particularly in low-lying areas prone to waterlogging. High tide is expected at 3:56 p.m. on Monday with a height of 4.08 metres, while another high tide of 3.44 metres is forecast at 4:38 a.m. on Tuesday. Low tide timings are 10:13 p.m. on Monday and 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday.
The civic body reported substantial rainfall during the 24-hour period between 8 a.m. on July 5 and 8 a.m. on July 6. Mumbai city recorded 105.24 mm of rainfall, while the eastern suburbs received 161.11 mm and the western suburbs recorded 159.40 mm.
Heavy rainfall has significantly impacted railway operations. Due to waterlogging between Vasai Road and Virar stations, train services are operating on a skeletal basis on this section. Passengers have been advised to expect delays, plan their journeys accordingly, and allow additional travel time.
In another major development, a landslide occurred in the South East Ghat section of the Mumbai Division between Karjat and Lonavala. The landslide took place between Thakurvadi (TKW) and Monkey Hill Loop Cabin (MHLC) on the Up Main Line following incessant rainfall. Consequently, several trains have been short-originated, and restoration work is underway.
To assist passengers, Central Railway has established helplines at major stations for real-time updates and information. The helpline numbers are: CSMT – 022-22694040, Thane – 9321336747, Lonavala – 8356854238, Dadar – 9136452387, Panvel – 9004410777, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) – 9321336835, Kalyan – 8356848078, Pune – 9096815434, Daund – 9730609455, Chinchwad – 9970295751, Talegaon – 8956935884, Manmad – 7709173625, and Nashik – 9850852934. Passengers have been requested to use these numbers for real-time updates regarding train services.
Despite the disruptions, Central Railway said local train services on all four corridors were operating normally at 7 a.m. Trains on the Main Line were running six to eight minutes behind schedule, while Harbour Line services were delayed by around four minutes. Services on the Trans-Harbour and Uran-Belapur lines were operating as per schedule.
Authorities have also issued a public appeal after heavy rainfall and landslides severely affected traffic on both the Pune-Mumbai Expressway and the old Mumbai-Pune Highway. Traffic in both directions has been suspended until further notice. Citizens have been requested not to undertake any journey between Pune and Mumbai until further directions are issued and have been advised to postpone non-essential travel while following traffic advisories issued by government agencies.
Flood-like conditions have also been reported in parts of Maval and Tamhini Ghat, affecting alternate routes connecting Pune and Mumbai. Officials said the Pune-Mumbai Expressway has been closed between the Connecting Link and Missing Link due to the collapse of a concrete pillar. Traffic on the old Mumbai-Pune Highway has also been affected because of overflowing water at several locations.
Authorities further informed that a landslide has been reported at Patan village near Lohgad Fort, where a family is feared to have been trapped within the impact zone. Rescue operations have been initiated, and emergency teams have been deployed at the site.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday reviewed the situation following heavy landslides and falling boulders on railway tracks in the Mumbai-Pune ghat section, which have disrupted train services. He said restoration teams are fully prepared to clear the affected stretch despite forecasts of continued heavy rainfall. Vaishnaw added that officers from both Western Railway and Central Railway have been instructed to work in close coordination to expedite restoration work and resume train operations at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the heavy rainfall has significantly improved Mumbai’s water reserves. According to official data, rainfall recorded between 6 a.m. on July 5 and 6 a.m. on July 6 has increased the water stock in the seven reservoirs supplying drinking water to Mumbai to 16.92 per cent of their total capacity. The water stock has registered an increase of 3.73 percentage points over the past 24 hours, providing much-needed relief after concerns over declining reservoir levels.
Thane Municipal Corporation received a total of 186 complaints related to rain and weather-related incidents during the 24-hour period between 8:30 a.m. on July 5 and 8:30 a.m. on July 6.
According to the civic body, tree fall incidents accounted for the highest number of complaints at 110, followed by 38 cases of tree branch falls. Officials also received 14 complaints of trees in dangerous condition and six complaints of tree branches posing a threat.
The corporation recorded four cases of waterlogging, one complaint of water pipeline leakage, and one slab collapse during the period.
Additionally, there were two incidents each of compound wall collapses and metal shed collapses, while one complaint was received regarding a compound wall in a dangerous condition. The remaining seven complaints were categorised under other civic issues.
The Thane Municipal Corporation said the complaints were attended to by the concerned departments as part of its monsoon emergency response mechanism.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain indoors unless necessary, avoid waterlogged areas, stay away from flooded roads and railway tracks, and follow official advisories until the weather situation improves.