Mumbai Rains: Mayor Tawde inspects waterlogged areas amid heavy downpour

As heavy rains lashed Mumbai, Mayor Ritu Tawde inspected waterlogged areas, assuring proactive measures. The IMD issued an Orange Alert, while Aaditya Thackeray slammed the administration for its handling of the monsoon situation.

Mayor Reviews Monsoon Preparedness

As heavy monsoon rainfall continues to lash Mumbai, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde conducted a direct inspection of waterlogged areas on Wednesday to review suction pump operations. During her site visit, Mayor Tawde emphasised the administration's proactive stance in handling the seasonal rain. "It's a great thing that the rains have come after so much waiting, Mumbaikars should enjoy it... I am at Gandhi Market, and the pumps are working here. The road is absolutely clean... The entire administration is on the ground," she told ANI.

IMD Issues Alert Amid Heavy Downpour

Heavy rain lashed Mumbai through the night, leading to widespread waterlogging in several low-lying areas of the city, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an Orange Alert for Mumbai and adjoining districts. The alert, issued early Wednesday morning, warned of moderate to intense spells of rain over Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Palghar and Sindhudurg for a short-duration nowcast window, advising residents to take necessary precautions. The broader day-long alert picture has Mumbai, its suburbs and Palghar on red alert, Thane on orange, and Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg on yellow.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the nowcast warning remained in force till 10:00 am as intermittent heavy showers continued across the city and suburbs, accompanied by cloudy skies and chances of lightning and thunder.

Suburban Train Services Remain Operational

Despite the intense rainfall, the Western Railway confirmed that suburban train services on key routes, including the Harbour Line and Churchgate-Dahanu corridor, were running normally during the morning rush hours. Train movement on the Trans-Harbour line was also resumed on Wednesday morning following a brief operational snag caused by soil erosion beneath the tracks due to the recent downpour in the city.

Aaditya Thackeray Criticises Administration

Due to waterlogging in several places, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray termed the situation a "reminder" for the government to focus on governance rather than engaging in "dirty politics". In a post on 'X', the Worli MLA hit out at the BJP, accusing them of "draining" the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) of funds. He contrasted this with measures taken during the UBT Sena's tenure to mitigate urban flooding.

Thackeray highlighted the necessity of rainwater holding tanks for Mumbai, emphasising that these should be implemented alongside the construction of pumping stations and the expansion of stormwater drain diameters to transform Mumbai into a "sponge city". He further alleged that the current administration fails to properly operate existing pumps and holding tanks at Hind Mata to ensure the area remains flood-free. (ANI)

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