Heavy rains bring Mumbai on its knees again, office-goers suffer

The suburban trains, considered Mumbai's lifeline, are running at least 15 to 20 minutes late, say commuters

Mumbai: Heavy downpours since early morning hit railway and bus services in Mumbai on Friday, causing inconvenience to lakhs of office-goers.

Incessant rain with intermittent heavy spells led to waterlogging on some roads and railway tracks, slowing down the public transport services.

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The suburban trains, considered Mumbai’s lifeline, are running at least 15 to 20 minutes late, said commuters. A railway official said water has accumulated on tracks at Chunabhatti on the Harbour line due to heavy showers coupled with high tide.

High tide and heavy rains can potentially cause flooding in low-lying areas as water doesn’t flow into the sea during that time. The movement of trains has slowed down a bit, he said.

Services on the Main line of the Central Railway were delayed due to a technical glitch in a train engine, officials said. Western Railway claimed that its suburban services were “running”.

In the 24 hours ending at 8 am, Mumbai’s island city recorded an average rainfall of 78 mm. The figure for eastern Mumbai and western Mumbai was 57 mm and 67 mm rainfall, respectively, a civic official said. The Mumbai centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted moderate to heavy rains in the city.