Explainer: Rain havoc in Mumbai! More than 150 mm rain in 24 hours, many people died – 142 trees fell, schools and colleges closed

Mumbai Rain: Monsoon has once again shown its fierce form in Mumbai. In the last 24 hours, more than 150 mm of rain was recorded in many areas of the city, leading to falling of trees, damage to buildings and many incidents of accidents. Many people died due to continuous rain and strong winds, while rescue operations had to be conducted at many places.

The Meteorological Department (IMD) has first issued a red alert and then an orange alert for Monday. Considering the seriousness of the situation, the Maharashtra government has decided to keep all the schools and colleges of Mumbai closed on Monday.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has fielded about 10 thousand employees and has instructed all the officials to remain on high alert. It is a matter of relief that despite heavy rains, local train services remained normal most of the time and there was no large-scale waterlogging.

Why did the situation become so bad in Mumbai?

According to the Meteorological Department, due to active monsoon and continuous moisture from the Arabian Sea, there is excessive rain in Mumbai and Konkan region. On Sunday, strong winds blew at a speed of 70 to 75 km per hour in many areas, due to which a large number of trees and branches fell. A high tide of 4.19 meters was also recorded in the sea, which made the situation more challenging.

What steps did BMC take?

According to Mumbai Municipal Corporation, about 10 thousand officers and employees are continuously engaged in monitoring and relief work across the city. Pumping stations, health departments, engineering teams and disaster management teams have been deployed in sensitive areas. Before the monsoon, BMC has also claimed to prune more than one lakh trees and remove 648 dangerous trees.

What happened in Mumbai on Sunday?

• 150-170 mm of rain was recorded in 24 hours
• 142 trees or large branches were confirmed to have fallen.
• Two people died in two separate incidents of tree falling
• A three-storey vacant building collapsed in Worli, though no casualties were reported
• Incidents of falling of trees were reported in Bandra, Kurla, Aarey and many areas.
• Traffic was affected at many places but local train services continued.

Concern increased due to collapse of chawl in Mankhurd

Part of a ground plus three-storey chawl collapsed in Mankhurd area of ​​Mumbai on Sunday night. According to initial information, 4 to 5 people were feared trapped under the debris. Teams of fire brigade, police, BMC and ambulance reached the spot and started the rescue operation. According to BMC, a total of 6 people died while one person was injured after two to three huts collapsed in the ‘ground-plus-three’ structure in Janta Nagar of Mankhurd.

Tree fell on three cars parked in residential society in Bandra

Amidst heavy rains, a tree fell on three cars parked in a residential society in Bandra Government Colony. A local resident said that there are many trees here which have been standing for 50 to 60 years. PWD should have taken care of them. This accident happened due to their negligence…at least 6 to 7 cars were damaged. Who will compensate for this loss?…There is a problem of water logging and wrong disposal of waste in this area…”

Situation serious in Navi Mumbai and Thane also

Due to heavy rains in Navi Mumbai, there was waterlogging in many areas. A young man died after a wall and grill collapsed. Meanwhile, amid continuous rains in Thane and Palghar, a 17-year-old teenager drowned in the river and two people were injured in incidents like balcony collapse.

Alert in other states of the country also

There is a danger of heavy rain not only in Mumbai, but also in many states of the country.

• Himachal Pradesh: Orange and yellow alert till July 12
• Delhi: Chance of rain with thunder and strong winds
• Kerala: Warning for areas prone to landslides and flash floods
• Gujarat: Heavy rain and waterlogging in many districts including Junagadh
• West Bengal: Red alert in South 24 Parganas and East Medinipur
• Punjab-Haryana: Monsoon likely to become more active in next four days