Mumbai and its neighbouring districts have been battered by relentless monsoon downpours, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a Red Alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad, particularly on August 18–19.
In just 6–8 hours on Monday, Mumbai received 177 mm of rain, while some suburbs recorded even more: Vikhroli exceeded 200 mm, Santacruz, Juhu, and Byculla each received between 200–255 mm. To put this in perspective, the city nearly received a month’s worth of rain in mere days.
Educational Institutions Shut Down for Safety
In response to the escalating crisis and the severity of forecasts, authorities took swift action. All schools, colleges, and educational institutions—spanning pre-primary to higher secondary and both government-aided and private—were ordered closed across Mumbai city and suburbs, Thane, Palghar, Bhiwandi, and Raigad on Tuesday, August 19.
These closures were enacted to ensure the safety of students and staff amid mounting hazards—from overflowing drains to severely disrupted traffic.
Inundated Streets, Landslides, and Broken Infrastructure
The torrential downpour led to widespread flooding and chaos:
A landslide at Netivali Hill in Kalyan damaged four houses; thankfully, no casualties were reported
Vast tracts of Thane, Palghar, and Navi Mumbai were waterlogged, leaving roads gridlocked and commuters stranded.
Traffic snarled across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, especially on major routes like Ghodbunder Road; even a boulder obstructed traffic temporarily in Ghodbunder.
The Andheri subway was shut due to around 2 feet of water accumulation, forcing traffic to divert to bridges like Gokhale and Thackeray.
In Kalyan, schoolchildren had to be ferried in boats from heavily submerged zones.
In Banjewadi, Thane, civic authorities demolished part of a compound wall to allow floodwater drainage .
Human Toll and Government Action
The heavy rain has had tragic consequences:
Across Maharashtra, seven people have died, and vast agricultural damage has been reported, especially in Yavatmal, Beed, and Nanded.
In Nanded, nearly 206 people were rescued following a cloudburst; multiple rescue teams—including NDRF and military units—were deployed.
Flight schedules and airport access were disrupted due to waterlogging near the runways leading to delays, with airlines urging travelers to keep track of updates.
Despite the deluge, Mumbai’s metro services proved resilient and remained functional.
State leadership, including the Chief Minister, conducted emergency reviews, and warnings were issued urging motorists to avoid unnecessary travel as more rain and high tides were projected in the coming days.
The Red Alert remains in effect for August 19, with authorities preparing for prolonged rainfall, potentially intensifying waterlogging and transportation disruption.
High tides coinciding with the rainfall pose amplified risks, especially in coastal and low-lying zones.
Emergency services across the region are on heightened alert, conducting relief operations and urging the public to stay vigilant and indoors unless absolutely necessary.
[Newsroom staff written original, where key claims or facts are used, I’ve referenced the original sources (like
NDTV Profit,
The Economic Time,
The Times of India, Hindustan Times
Maharashtra Times Reuters, FT, etc.) transparently.]
