Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region was battered by a torrential downpour overnight, leaving thousands of residents stranded and disrupting normal life. The heavy rains, which dumped over 300 mm of water in just six hours, caused widespread flooding in low-lying areas and brought the city's transportation network to a standstill. According to the BMC, several areas recorded between 200 mm and 300 mm of rainfall within the six-hour period from 1 am to 7 am, exacerbating the city's flood woes.
Chief Minister Shinde chaired an emergency management meeting at the Mantralaya before visiting the BMC control room to review the situation firsthand. Accompanied by state minister for Relief and Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Anil Patil, and other key officials including guardian ministers Deepak Kesarkar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha, cabinet colleague Girish Mahajan, state chief secretary Sujata Saunik, Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, and senior IAS officer IS Chahal, Shinde was briefed on the city's condition by civic officials.
The Chief Minister was briefed on the extent of the damage caused by the rains, which lashed Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), led to the disruption of suburban and long-distance trains and caused significant traffic jams on roads and highways. Thousands of commuters were stranded on their way to work, and schools had to close for the morning session. The BMC's disaster management control room was put on high alert, with senior officials and ward-level staff deployed to monitor the situation and provide assistance to those affected.
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Chief Minister Shinde said, "I have directed all emergency agencies to be on high alert. Citizens should go out only if necessary. I am also appealing to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Police Administration and Emergency Services to cooperate."
The Chief Minister praised the BMC's efforts in tackling the crisis, saying that over 400 pumps were working across the city to clear waterlogged areas. He also announced plans to increase the height of the Mithi River and Poisar River embankments to prevent future flooding.
"Since last night, Mumbai has received 300mm rain, around 200 water pumps of the Railways and more than 400 BMC water pumps are in service to drain out water. Disaster management authorities, Army, Navy, and Air Force are on alert", said Shinde.
When asked about the measures being taken to address the situation, Shinde emphasized that around 5,000 hotspots had been identified and municipal officials had been deployed to tackle them. New pumping stations were being set up at Mogra and Mahul, while floodgates had been installed on the Mithi River and Poisar River.
