Mumbai: Mumbai’s suburban railway network, often described as the city’s lifeline, was severely disrupted on Tuesday morning after heavy overnight rainfall left several stretches of track waterlogged, derailing schedules and leaving thousands of commuters stranded during peak hours.

Harbour Line Services Suspended

Harbour Line services bore the brunt of the disruption. Authorities confirmed that train operations between Chunnabhatti (CLA) and CSMT were suspended until further notice due to severe waterlogging at Chunnabhatti station.

In addition, commuters reported that services from Panvel were partially suspended, further affecting connectivity to south Mumbai. Central Railway services also struggled to maintain normalcy, with trains running 30 to 40 minutes late through the morning rush.

Though officials later clarified that trains were only around 10 minutes late on the Central Line, the situation on the ground told a different story, with massive disruptions across multiple stations. Western Railway, on the other hand, maintained that its services were operating normally.

Waterlogging On Tracks

Commuters faced chaotic scenes at major junctions. At Dadar, waterlogged tracks slowed movement to a crawl, while on the Andheri–Jogeshwari stretch, flooding disrupted services altogether. In Thane and Kalwa, exasperated passengers, unwilling to wait indefinitely, climbed down onto the tracks and began walking in large groups.

Crowds gathered on the tracks near the Kalwa car shed as people tried to board outgoing trains directly. Similar incidents were reported at Ghatkopar and Dadar, where water accumulation stalled operations and added to the morning mayhem.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a nowcast warning at 10:15 am, cautioning that intense spells of rain accompanied by gusty winds of 40–50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, were likely over Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and the ghats of Pune during the next three to four hours. The forecast added to concerns of further disruption if the rain persisted.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red Alert for extremely heavy rainfall in the jurisdiction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) — covering Mumbai city and suburbs — for today, Tuesday, 19th August. Continuous rainfall is being reported across Mumbai.

In view of this situation, as the District Disaster Management Authority has declared a holiday today for all government and semi-government offices, including BMC offices, except for essential services.

Furthermore, all private offices and establishments in the Mumbai Metropolitan area are urgently requested to instruct their employees to work from home depending on the nature of their operations, and to avoid unnecessary travel, as per the appeal issued by the BMC.

As per IMD data, from 8.30 am of 18th August to 8.30 am of 19th August, the areas which received highest rainfall include: 

Vikhroli 255.5 mm

Byculla 241.0 mm

Santacruz 238.2 mm

Juhu 221.5 mm

Bandra 211.0 mm

Colaba 110.4 mm

Mahalaxmi 72.5 mm

Mumbai: Heavy rains that have lashed the city over the past two days triggered a minor landslip-like incident in Chembur on Sunday evening, when a retaining wall built on a hill suddenly collapsed onto a cluster of hutments in Ashok Nagar near Vashi Naka.

The incident occurred around 7 pm, damaging at least seven houses, though no injuries were reported. A video of the incident has gone viral on the internet showing exact moments of the wall collapse.

According to officials, the wall, constructed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), gave way under pressure from continuous showers. Residents in the area noticed cracks and falling debris and rushed out of their homes in time, averting what could have been a major tragedy. Fortunately, people managed to get out quickly, otherwise the collapse could have caused casualties, an official confirmed.

Teams from the Mumbai Fire Brigade and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reached the site shortly after being alerted. The debris was cleared and rescue operations were carried out to ensure no one was trapped under the rubble. The BMC then arranged temporary shelter for the affected families at Marvali Church in Chembur, where basic facilities have been provided.

Local MLA Sana Malik Visits Site

Anushakti Nagar MLA Sana Malik Shaikh visited the site with her team to oversee relief measures. She instructed immediate arrangements for temporary rehabilitation and assured the affected residents that assistance would continue until they could safely return to their homes.

“In New Ashok Nagar, a retaining wall collapsed, leading to damage to unoccupied homes and minor impact on others below. Thankfully, there was no loss of life. Instructions have been given to urgently provide shelter and basic facilities for the affected families,” Shaikh posted on X, sharing images from the site.

The MLA also confirmed that the Disaster Management Department coordinated with the M/East Ward Maintenance Department, Fire Brigade, and RCF Police Station to respond swiftly to the situation. RCF Police officials conducted a preliminary panchnama on Sunday, while a detailed survey is scheduled to be carried out by the District Collector’s office.