Mumbai: At least 31 persons, including eight minors, lost their lives in Mumbai as incessant rain from July 17 night and throughout July 18 triggered a landslip, house collapse and electrocution.

The Regional Meteorological Centre of Mumbai has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places, with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said more than 200 mm of rainfall was recorded between 11 p.m. on Saturday and 4 a.m. on Sunday. A BMC centre at Dahisar recorded the highest 226.82 mm of rainfall, followed by Chembur with 218.45 mm.

Wall collapse

Nineteen people were killed and five injured at Vashi Naka in Chembur after a retaining wall collapsed on four or five huts due to the force of water and mud around 1 a.m.

A landslip at Panchasheel chawl in Vikroli on six houses around 3 a.m. resulted in the death of 10 people while one person was injured.

Soham Thorat, 16, died after a wall of his house at Kombagalli in Bhandup area collapsed, while one person was electrocuted at a shop in Andheri.

Five battalions of the National Disaster Response Force were deployed in Chembur and Vikroli to speed up rescue efforts. The search was on for two more missing individuals at the time of writing this report.

“I visited the 3 locations of landslips … Relief work is going on and all necessary financial and medical assistance is being provided by the Govt of Maharashtra and BMC,” Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray tweeted.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed condolences at the loss of lives in the Chembur, Vikhroli incidents. “The next of kin of those who lost their lives in the mishap will receive ₹5 lakh each from the State and those injured will be provided with free medical treatment,” said Mr Thackeray.

In view of the IMD forecast of heavy rains on Sunday, CM directed all agencies to stay on high alert and launch immediate rescue and relief operations in case of any mishaps. “If the water levels in the Mithi or other major nullahs rise above the danger level, those staying in nearby areas must be relocated to safer locations immediately,” he said.

Rains have also posed water shortage problems in front of the city as due to the inundation of rain water in the Bhandup Water Purification Complex.The Filtration and Pumping plants at the complex had to be shut down as a precautionary measure.

“Due to this, water supply in most of the parts of Mumbai has been disrupted July 18. Efforts to restore Mumbai’s water supply are being made on war footing. We urge the citizens of Mumbai to boil potable water before consuming it, once the water supply is restored,” said the civic body press statement.

Heavy rains also resulted in water logging at 31 locations across Mumbai and 20 traffic diversions had to be announced. Several suburban local train services were also hit due water logging on tracks.

The rains have also brought good news to Mumbai as days after overflowing of Tulsi lake, one of water bodies which supply water to Mumbai, Vihar lake too overflowed at 9 AM on July 18.

The IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rains in the next 48 hours. It also expressed the possibility of occassional gutsy winds reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph. “In view of the likely formation of a low-pressure area over Northwest Bay of Bengal & neighbourhood around July 23 and associated strengthening of westerlies, parts of Konkan Goa and adjoining ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra is very likely to experience an active rainfall spell during next 5-6 days with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places,” the release said.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on July 18 evening held a meeting with senior officials in the state to take stock of the situation arose due to incessant rains.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/at-least-31-killed-as-rain-triggers-mayhem-in-mumbai/article35399000.ece