Mumbai’s Monday blues: Rain can wreck your commute
The incessant rain led to flooding at several spots on Sunday, which did not affect Mumbaiites much as most kept off the roads
When it rains, it pours. After a dry, humid spell of 15 days was broken by heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday, brace for a difficult Monday as officials from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted heavy rain for the next two days.
The incessant rain led to flooding at several spots on Sunday, which did not affect Mumbaiites much as most kept off the roads.
However, a similar situation on Monday could make your commute a nightmare, as along with the rain expect to run into a Ganpati idol.
With the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival to start from Friday, big Ganpati idols will be transported to various pandals across the city through the week.
Naresh Dahibhavkar, president of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti, said, “Most idols are coming from workshops in Parel.” Nikhil Desai, a resident of Matunga said, “With heavy rain, potholes and a festival, the roads will be chaotic.”
In order to flush out water on Sunday, BMC operated three pumps each at the Haji Ali and Brittania pumping station, four at Irla, two each at Lovegrove and Cleveland and one at Guzderband. The recently inaugurated Guzderband one at Khar has pumps that can drain out 10,000 litres of water per second.
Civic officials said they were prepared and pumps would be operational on a priority basis to avoid waterlogging.
However, there continues to be disparity between reports from the ground and the BMC. On Sunday, while citizens reported waterlogging at several locations, officials said there were only two spots that were flooded — Andheri subway and near the National college, Bandra.
The lakes supplying water to the city have 13.55 lakh million litres, inching closer to Mumbai’s need of 14.37 lakh million litres for an entire year.
On Sunday, the city saw 11 trees fall — three in the island city, two in the eastern suburbs and six in the western suburbs. There were also seven cases of short-circuits. No one was hurt .