Heavy rain cripples Navi Mumbai, Thane as roads flood, traffic and rail services hit

NAVI MUMBAI: Heavy rain lashed Navi Mumbai and Thane on Wednesday, flooding roads, disrupting rail and road traffic, and exposing drainage issues across several low-lying areas

NAVI MUMBAI: Heavy rain lashed Navi Mumbai and Thane on Wednesday, flooding roads, disrupting rail and road traffic, and exposing drainage issues across several low-lying areas. While civic teams rushed to clear waterlogged stretches and restore normalcy, commuters faced long delays as submerged roads, traffic congestion and transport disruptions brought parts of both cities to a standstill.

Thane, India - July -01, 2026: Following heavy rainfall in Thane, a portion of the road adjacent to a drainage chamber near the Three Petrol Pump area has caved in, resulting in a large pothole ,in Thane ,in Mumbai, India, on, Wednesday, July -01, 2026. ( photo by Praful Gangurde / Hindustan Times ) (praful Gangurde)

Navi Mumbai bore the brunt of the downpour, receiving an average rainfall of around 200 mm in the 24 hours ending Wednesday night, according to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). The NMMC headquarters station in CBD Belapur recorded the highest rainfall at 253 mm. The civic disaster management cell attended 25 incidents of tree and large branch falls, one slab collapse and one fire call. Two college students were also injured after suffering electric shocks in a waterlogged area in Nerul.

Heavy waterlogging was reported from the Sanpada underpass, Turbhe MIDC Road, low-lying stretches in Nerul and Juinagar, and internal roads in Vashi and CBD Belapur.

The APMC market in Vashi was inundated, disrupting trading activity and the movement of goods vehicles, while the Turbhe railway station subway on the Trans Harbour line went underwater, forcing commuters, including schoolchildren, to wade through knee-deep water. Road traffic crawled along the Sion-Panvel Highway near Juinagar, Turbhe and Sanpada, while an overhead equipment fault between Nerul and Vashi delayed Harbour line services for nearly an hour. Mayor Sujata Patil inspected inundated areas and directed officials to expedite dewatering operations and prioritise public complaints.

Drainage woes surface

In Thane, the Mumbra-Shilphata stretch witnessed the season’s first major flooding, submerging vehicles and crippling traffic towards Panvel and the Mumbai-Nashik Highway.

Thane recorded 94.45 mm of rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30pm on Wednesday, triggering widespread waterlogging and traffic disruptions across key arterial roads.

According to the Thane Traffic Police, Mumbra witnessed nearly three feet of waterlogging and remained inaccessible for over four hours, causing severe inconvenience to motorists. Flooding was also reported at Dongrali on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway, disrupting traffic, while Dahisar Mori on the Panvel-Mumbra Road witnessed around 1.5 feet of waterlogging, worsening congestion on the route.

Poor road conditions at Mankoli Naka on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway, coupled with inadequate nalla cleaning by the Public Works Department (PWD), led to flooding and a major traffic jam. Anjurphata on the Thane-Bhiwandi Road also witnessed heavy congestion. Congress leader Rahul Pingle, who has repeatedly raised concerns over inadequate desilting of nallas in Mumbra, blamed poor drainage maintenance for the flooding.

Pankaj Shirsat, DCP, Traffic Police, Thane, told HT, “I request the public to avoid using the Mumbra-Panvel Road, Thane-Bhiwandi Road, and the Mumbai-Nashik Highway if similar rainfall occurs on Thursday or in the coming days, as these routes are prone to severe traffic congestion. People should venture out only in case of an emergency and, wherever possible, use trains or alternate routes.”