Mumbai: Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhiwandi East Raees Sheikh has welcomed the interim stay granted by the Supreme Court on Monday on some provisions of the Waqf Board (Amendment) Act, 2025 and expressed satisfaction.

On the court’s decision, Raees Sheikh said that the committee of the Waqf Board can have a maximum of four non-Muslim members. That is, a majority of the 11 should be with Muslims. The court has directed that wherever possible, the Chief Executive Officer of the board should be a Muslim.

The condition for becoming a member of the Waqf Board was to practice Islam for five years. The provision was suspended saying that this provision will not be implemented until the government makes clear laws. Raees Sheikh said that the court’s clarification that the Waqf Board cannot be deprived of its property until the ownership of the Waqf property is decided by the Waqf Tribunal and the High Court is a slap in the face of the central government.

This decision is temporary. No decision can be made until the rules of this law are formulated. But this interim decision is satisfactory and increases confidence in the court.

Navi Mumbai and large parts of Mumbai were inundated on Monday following heavy overnight and early-morning rains that led to serious waterlogging, road closures, and traffic chaos.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red nowcast warning for Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad districts early in the morning, forecasting intense to very intense showers, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds for the next few hours.

Many areas like Turbhe, Vashi, Kharghar and Sanpada have waterlogging at knees length making difficulty for commuters and even the shops to stay open. Videos of the areas are massively circulating on social media platforms

Andheri, Khar (Vakola), Panbai School North Bound Slip Road, King’s Circle, Lalbaug, Worli, Dadar, Parel, Kurla, significant water accumulation, up to 1 to 1.5 feet in some subways, has brought vehicular movement to a crawl. Suburban train services experienced delays of 10-15 minutes at stations like Bandra, Kurla, and Dadar, largely due to waterlogging on tracks.

Between Sunday night and the Monday morning, Mumbai’s Colaba observatory recorded over 100 mm of rainfall, with Santacruz, Bandra, Byculla, Juhu and eastern/western suburbs also seeing heavy downpours. The Island City averaged 111 mm. Localities prone to flooding saw potholes, submerged roads, and critical infrastructure under strain.

The IMD has upgraded alerts for Mumbai, Thane and Raigad are under red/nowcast warnings; Palghar, Pune & other adjoining regions have seen yellow or orange alerts depending on intensity.

The forecast for the coming 24-48 hours remains grim, heavy to very heavy rain expected at isolated places, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) are likely. Some relief may come after this period, but low-lying and coastal areas remain at high risk.

A video from Dadar East’s Hindu Colony has gone viral, showing a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) worker risking his life to protect citizens during heavy rains. The employee sat near an open manhole to warn pedestrians and motorists, ensuring no one fell into the water-filled pit.

Every monsoon, Mumbai reports accidents caused by open manholes, some of them fatal. On a day when the city was struggling with flooded roads and disrupted trains, this silent act of courage stood out as the worker turned into a real-life guardian for Mumbaikars braving the downpour.

The clip captured the worker soaked in rain, yet unwavering in his duty to prevent accidents. Such measures highlight the gaps in the city’s preparedness, especially since the BMC is regarded as the wealthiest civic body in India.

Despite advanced pumps and drainage machinery, employees are still forced to use dangerous methods like guarding open manholes in person. The incident has sparked debate over why civic workers must take such extreme risks in 2025.

Mumbai has been battered by intense rainfall since Sunday night, flooding several low-lying areas. Hindmata, Kings Circle, Matunga, Five Gardens and Hindu Colony once again turned into waterlogging hotspots, leaving commuters stranded.

The BMC deployed high-capacity pumps to flush out water, but drainage remained slow as the downpour continued. In many areas, workers were seen opening manholes to divert the water and speed up relief efforts.

Mumbai’s lifeline, the local trains, was not spared. Heavy waterlogging on tracks disrupted services, while road traffic slowed to a crawl in parts of Dadar, Matunga and Sion. Cars waded through knee-deep water as stranded commuters waited for some respite.