Heavy Rains Bring Mumbai to a Standstill

Mumbai, India’s bustling megacity and the heart of Bollywood, has been brought to a standstill by relentless monsoon rains. The city experienced over 300 millimeters (11.8 inches) of rain within just a few hours, causing widespread disruption.

According to civic officials, Mumbai, which houses approximately 12 million residents, received this downpour within a six-hour window until 7 AM. The heavy rains have impacted more than two million people due to overflowing rivers, while air travel was disrupted, and educational institutions faced closures.

Authorities have predicted more heavy rains and a high tide of 4.4 meters (14 feet), leading to a precautionary closure of schools and colleges. Eknath Shinde, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, urged residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, citing significant traffic congestion and rail line disruptions.

Commuters navigated knee-deep water that submerged vehicles in various parts of the city, while traffic jams clogged the Eastern and Western Express highways. Flooded tracks forced railway authorities to cancel several long-distance trains, and television footage showed suburban trains halted on inundated lines.

The poor visibility and rain prompted airport officials to suspend runway operations for over an hour, resulting in more than 300 flight delays and 36 cancellations, according to Flightradar24. IndiGo and SpiceJet, two major airlines, reported significant disruptions due to the severe weather.

This deluge follows record-breaking rainfall in New Delhi that led to the deadly collapse of an airport roof. The monsoon rains have also caused floods and landslides in northern and eastern India, as well as in neighboring Nepal, where at least 11 people have died.

In northeastern Assam, over two million people have been affected by river flooding, with the Kaziranga National Park, home to the rare one-horned rhinoceros, inundated. Six rhinos drowned, and authorities reported 66 deaths in flood-related incidents since May.

Flooding has also impacted 31 villages in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, which borders Nepal.