Mumbai on red alert, harbour line services restored, schools shut today

Mumbai: Mumbai’s daily life was crippled on Wednesday as unprecedented rains deluged the city, delaying flights and trains, causing traffic jams, flooding homes and having rescue teams out on the roads since morning.

"Local train towards Andheri left Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) at 5.22 am and local train towards Panvel left CSMT at 6 am," read a press release by Public Relations Department, Central Railway, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai.

Train services resumed on Kurla to Kalyan route and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Goregaon route after rains relented late on Wednesday evening.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains in several parts of the city and suburbs in the next 48 hours.

The financial capital is most likely to receive incessant rains and showers with the possibility of extremely heavy falls at isolated places in city and suburbs for the next 48 hours, the IMD release read.

Schools and junior colleges in Mumbai, Thane and Kokan will remain shut on Thursday as a precautionary measure.

The rain had started on late Tuesday night, causing water-logging in several parts of Mumbai and pushing rescue teams to areas around Mithi River, which has crossed the danger mark. Rescue teams are deployed in the area to help the locals. In parts of the city, people were seen moving in waist-deep water.

By the afternoon, most of the city's roads were waterlogged and local train services were stopped to nearby areas including Thane and Goregaon, leaving the passengers stranded. The east-west connector Santacruz Chembur link road was shut and Tata Power authorities said  they might switch off sub-stations in view of safety concerns.

In a series of posts, the city's civic body advised locals to avoid "venturing near the sea" and "stay indoors in safe premises till the water in low-lying areas recedes".

At the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, no major air traffic disruptions were reported; however, flights were delayed.