High tide hits Mumbai coast as heavy rains cripple normal life, residents asked to stay indoors

Mumbai: The Maximum city which is already on a standstill due to incessant rains for over 30 hours has been hit by a high tide. The authorities have issued a warning asking residents to stay away from areas near the beaches.

The city has recieved 35 mm rain in just 5 hours since Friday morning. The rainfall has led to water logging in several parts of the city, with areas like Kurla, Sion, Matunga, Hindmata, Jogeshwari and Andheri being the worst affected. The downpours inundated low-lying areas and also caused water-logging of railway tracks.

Local train services also had to be stopped due to the torrential rains leaving thousands of commuters stranded. The services have been restored now. The heavy rain has also caused largescale disruption in the vehicular traffic bringing the city to a grinding halt.

In a big civic fallout, several areas in south Mumbai are unlikely to have power supply, with BEST shutting down four sub stations in Colaba due to the rain.

Both Central and Western Railway services have also been hit. Even flights at the Mumbai airport have been delayed due to the rain. The delays in flights are due to "ATC congestion" as the rain has affected flight timings. As for the visibility, it is at 800-1,000 metres at present which can support flight operations. A visibility of less than 500 metres can affect flight operations.

Offices and schools have been shut and residents have been asked to stay indoors. The Bombay High Court has been also been shut down for the day. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued an alert declaring a holiday for all schools on Friday.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that he is personally monitoring the situation. Addressing media persons after his visit to the BMC offices, the Chief Minister said that the focus was on draining the water from the roads, adding that the authorities were concerned about the high tide expected later on Friday.

More rainfall has been predicted for the next 24 hours. The civic body of the city has pressed about 120 pumps into service to clear the excess water from the roads.