Mumbai gets 30 per cent of total rain already, IMD predicts heavy rain for next 4 days

Three people were injured in a landslide at Chunabhatti, Sion, caused by heavy rainfall on Wednesday. Many low-lying areas, including Hindmata and Gandhi Market, were flooded. A part of the hill at Nagoba Chowk in Chunabhatti came crashing on the nearby one-storey Narayan Hadke chawl. Three injured were sent to civic-run Sion hospital. The IMD has issued an alert for heavy rain in the city and surrounding districts for the next four days. Santacruz observatory recorded 926 mm of rainfall until Wednesday and Colaba 843 mm.

Water in the low-lying areas of the city receded quickly once the rain stopped. The three injured residents of Narayan Hadke chawl were identified as Shubham Sonawane, 15, Prakash Sonawane, 40, and Surekha Virkar, 20.

Also read: BMC to sink Rs 17 crore to keep flooded Chunabhatti afloat

Workers install a sign warning of an ongoing work zone, on a flooded street in Hindmata, on Wednesday

According to the disaster control unit of the BMC, the incident occurred at 10.30 am. Mumbai Fire Brigade and police reached the spot and adjacent rooms of the chawls were made to vacate the chawl as a precautionary measure.

Until 8.30 am on Wednesday, Santacruz observatory recorded 194 mm rainfall and Colaba 84 mm. From 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, Santacruz recorded 32 mm rain and Colaba 25 mm. Mumbai has so far received up to 30 per cent of the total rainfall of the season this year. Santacruz observatory recorded 926 mm of rainfall until Wednesday and Colaba 843 mm, of this season. The city receives an average of 2,260 mm of rainfall yearly. The IMD has issued an alert for heavy rain in the city and surrounding districts for the next four days.

A commuter wades through a waterlogged road as a bus paases by him, at Dadar TT on Wednesday. Pic/Atul Kamble

Lake levels rise

Continued heavy rainfall in the city and the catchment areas of lakes increased the water level. The lakes now have as much water as they had last year; however, the BMC has decided to continue with water supply cuts. Civic officials said that the overall stock is just 15 per cent of the total requirement.

The water stocks in seven lakes, which provide supply to the city, was just 9 per cent at the end of June, but it reached 15.8 per cent on Wednesday. Last year, the stock was 18 per cent on the same day.

"The water stock has only marginally increased and one month of monsoon has already passed. So, we cannot withdraw water cuts as of now," said Purushottam Malvade, chief of the hydraulic engineering department of the BMC.

If the water level reaches 100 per cent at the end of monsoon, i.e., September 30, then the city will receive uninterrupted supply of water until next monsoon.

All the lakes were at their 100 per cent capacity and there were no cuts in water supply until summer. The BMC started the cuts in June because of the delay in the arrival of the monsoon this year. Currently, the city is receiving 3,465 million litres of water per day instead of 3,850 million litres per day due to a 10 per cent water cut.

Flooded spots

Several areas connecting south Mumbai to the suburbs were flooded on Wednesday morning, including Sion road number 24, Hindmata, Gandhi Market, Antop Hill, Shell Colony in Chembur, Sheetal Cinema in Kurla, Mandala, National College in Bandra, Air India Colony and Veera Desai Road. The BEST diverted buses from these areas.

A Wall collapse

A part of the ceiling of one-storey chawl at BST colony on Sion-Bandra Link Road, Dharavi, collapsed on Tuesday evening. Gopi Sawant, 65, was injured in the incident.

Two drown

Two teenagers fell into a rainwater-filled mine at Vaishali Nagar in Dahisar East on Tuesday. Both Shekhar Pappu Vishwakarma, 19, and Ajay Jogdande, 25, drowned. The incident took place around 9.30 pm on the Suhasini Pawaskar road, officials said.