Heavy rainfall in Mumbai on Tuesday disrupted flight operations at the city airport, forcing the diversion of at least eight flights. Airlines said many services were also delayed due to poor visibility and air traffic congestion. According to news agency PTI, six IndiGo flights and one each of Air India and SpiceJet were diverted to nearby airports, including Surat, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. IndiGo issued a travel advisory asking passengers to check flight status before leaving for the airport.
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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared a holiday for all government and semi-government offices in Mumbai on Tuesday. Private offices were advised to let employees work from home, except for essential and emergency services.
Schools and colleges in Mumbai and its suburbs also remained closed as a precautionary measure. The civic body said the move was to ensure the safety of students and staff, given the possibility of heavy waterlogging and traffic disruptions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in Mumbai and its suburbs until August 20. Several districts of Maharashtra are under red and orange alerts as rain continues to batter the state.
The BMC, acting as the District Disaster Management Authority, appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary travel. “Continuous heavy rain is lashing Mumbai. Please step out only if essential,” the civic body said in a post on X.
As the heavy rainfall lashed Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday told reporters that Mumbai witnessed about 300 mm of rain, which led to disruptions in several areas. He added that the water level in Mithi River was going down at a slow pace. From 8 am on August 18 to 8 am on August 19, Mumbai received 300mm of rainfall in last 24 hours. The CM assured that SDRF and NDRF teams were deployed in the affected areas. Konkan and Ghat regions are under red alert for the next few hours while some other areas are under orange alert.
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde took stock of Naupada on Tuesday as several houses in the area have been flooded after continuous rain since last night.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also visited the disaster control room at Mantralaya to review the rain situation in Mumbai and other parts of the state. He instructed officials to remain alert and ensure smooth rescue and relief operations wherever required.
Many areas of Mumbai witnessed severe waterlogging due to nonstop rainfall. Roads in Bandra Khar Link Road, Chembur, Vasai-Virar and Chunabhatti were flooded, slowing traffic movement during the morning hours. Between 8:30 am Monday and 8:30 am Tuesday, Vikhroli recorded 255.5 mm of rainfall, Byculla 241 mm, Santacruz 238.2 mm, Juhu 221.5 mm, and Bandra 211 mm. Colaba saw 110.4 mm, while Mahalaxmi recorded 72.5 mm of rain.
The civic body has asked residents of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to avoid stepping out unless absolutely necessary. With several areas flooded and traffic movement slow, citizens have been advised to allow extra travel time.
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