Torrents of rain. Monday misery

The city’s wettest day this monsoon disrupted life on Monday as trains services stalled, roads got jammed and thousands of Mumbaiites got stranded on their way to work.

The city’s wettest day this monsoon disrupted life on Monday as trains services stalled, roads got jammed and thousands of Mumbaiites got stranded on their way to work.

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Across the city, there were four rain-related deaths on Monday. A labourer died in a mudslide at Haji Ali after a retaining wall crashed down on a parking lot, while a couple was killed in a landslide in Rabale. A 32-year-old man stranded at Kurla railway station died of heart attack.

From 8.30am on Sunday till 8.30am on Monday, Santacruz recorded the highest rainfall of the season at 232.6mm; Colaba received 178.6mm.

As the Mithi river overflowed, the city witnessed heavy water-logging, especially in areas adjoining the river such as Kurla. The largest of the six lakes that supply water to the city, Bhatsa also overflowed on Sunday night.

Though the civic body had claimed it was prepared to deal with the monsoon, on Monday, it took no visible action to validate that claim. “The continuous downpour coupled with higher high tide levels [4.63 metres] prevented the rainwater from receding. Also, with the Mithi overflowing, water entered culverts and the drainage system was under tremendous strain,” said Laxman Vhatkar, chief engineer, storm water drains department.

The central and harbour lines were badly affected for over four hours in the morning after tracks got submerged, and services were more than 30 minutes late.

People who travelled by road got stuck in massive traffic jams as there was water-logging at Milan subway, Kurla, Sion, Hindmata, Vile Parle and Andheri, among other areas.