Rains lash Mumbai, slows down rush hour traffic

Mumbai: Heavy rains lashed Mumbai and its outskirts this morning slowing down the road traffic during the rush hour. According to India Meteorological Department, in 24 hours ended at 8.30 this morning weather station at Colaba in the city recorded 80.2 mm rains while the Santacruz observatory marked 86.5 mm rains. In the next 24 hours, intermittent showers are likely to hit the city and suburbs while heavy rain is expected in some parts of the megapolis, an IMD official said. Sudhir Naik, Deputy Municipal Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said no rain related incidents were reported. “There is a high tide today and our machinery is keeping a close watch on it,” Naik said. Due the downpour, the suburban trains on the Central as well as the Western line were running late by 5-10 minutes. “Despite the heavy rains, the services of the Central Railway are quite normal so far,” A K Jain, senior Public Relations Officer of the Central Railway said. Another civic official said road traffic was affected in the morning due to water-logging in low-lying areas in the city like Sion, Dadar, Mumbai Central and Kurla. “Heavy rains were reported in Vikhroli, Borivali, Powai, Goregaon, Kurla and other parts of the city, but everything was quite normal,” the official maintained. “BEST buses are running as per schedule and there was no need to divert them as the water stagnated on the roads is being drained out,” he said. The rains, however, caused slow movement of traffic in some stretches on the Western Express Highway, Santacruz- Chembur Link Road intersection to Eastern Express Highway towards suburban Ghatkopar. PTI