Mumbai, May 7: The world’s busiest single-runway airport, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), concluded its annual pre-monsoon runway maintenance programme, restoring full flight operations at 5 pm on Thursday.

The meticulously planned six-hour window saw India’s second-busiest aviation hub undergo a massive engineering health check to ensure the airfield remains resilient against the impending Mumbai rains.

The closure, which began at 11 am, affected both the primary runway (09/27), stretching 3,448 metres, and the secondary runway (14/32) at 2,871 metres. Both strips became fully operational at 5 pm, providing a vital sigh of relief for an airport that manages upwards of 950 air traffic movements (ATMs) daily.

For a single-runway operation of this scale, the maintenance window is less of a break and more of a high-speed logistical sprint. Technical teams deployed across the vast airside focused on monsoon-proofing the infrastructure to prevent hydroplaning and electrical failures during heavy downpours.

The most critical aspect of the maintenance work was to ensure pavement health and remove rubber from the tarmac. This consisted of clearing layers of accumulated tyre rubber to restore necessary friction levels for aircraft braking.

A comprehensive audit of airfield ground lighting (AGL) systems, including the inspection of over 3,000 runway lights and their supporting substations, was carried out, while surface markings were repainted wherever necessary to withstand Mumbai’s usually heavy rain.

A large-scale cleaning of the airport’s sophisticated drainage network to ensure rapid water run-off during high-intensity cloudbursts was carried out, while critical cable networks that support information technology and navigational aids were tested to ensure uninterrupted performance during low-visibility conditions.

The execution of Thursday’s maintenance work was the result of half a year of preparation. Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) began stakeholder coordination six months in advance, allowing domestic and international airlines to realign their flight schedules well ahead of time.

This proactive communication is designed to prevent airlines from scheduling flights during maintenance hours and accordingly mitigate passenger inconvenience.

The annual exercise is considered non-negotiable for CSMIA, given Mumbai’s reputation for some of the most challenging monsoon weather in global aviation.

“By completing the annual pre-monsoon runway maintenance, the airport has reinforced operational readiness ahead of the rainy season. The preventive maintenance is critical as it ensures runway infrastructure consistently meets the highest safety and operational standards and safeguards operations during the high-intensity monsoon period,” said a spokesperson.

Thane: A massive dust storm hit the Thane and Navi Mumbai areas on Thursday evening. Scary visuals from Kalyan, Domivali, Ulhasnagar, Shilphata, Airoli, Digha, showed the sky covered with a huge dust cloud, with strong winds blowing, causing trees to sway in the area and reducing visibility in localities.

Videos of the storm created panic-like situations in some pockets as dust and debris filled the air. An alert has been issued by Mumbai Rains on its official handle on X (formerly Twitter), issuing a duststorm alert for Thane & MMR for the next 1 hour.

This duststorm comes amid the time when an alert for a hot and humid climate has been issued today. According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, a yellow alert for Hot and humid conditions has been issued for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad till May 9. Not just this, AccuWeather had predicted hot weather in Thane and Navi Mumbai, with the maximum temperature expected to hit around 37°C. However, currently, AccuWeather shows a yellow alert for heavy rainfall in Navi Mumbai and Thane.

An alert for duststorm was sounded by Agric & Crop Scientist Athreya Shetty on his official handle on X. He had issued an alert for moderate to heavy thundershowers developing over Shahpur, Murbad, Badlapur, Karjat areas moving westwards towards KDMC, Navbi Mumbai, Palghar. He also predicted the first premonsoon likely in MMR this evening, along with some dust storms and gusty winds.

Apart from the duststorm, a social media user also shared a video showing heavy rains in the Khopoli area.

Mumbai: A property owner from Pydhonie has alleged that two tenants submitted forged rent receipts to the electricity department to obtain benefits and falsely establish tenancy rights, following which a criminal case was registered at Colaba Police Station.

According to FIR, Complainant Mohammed Ali Abdul Kadar Patel (51), a businessman residing at Nakida Street, Motiwala Building, Pydhonie, he has been engaged in the property business.

Patel stated that on February 12, 2026, PSI Rohini Dhere contacted him on his mobile phone and called him to Colaba Police Station in connection with an inquiry regarding a complaint filed by him against Anis Umar Wadia and his mother Ruksana Umar Wadia.

Patel said that in November 2021, he had purchased the property located at “13/15, Motiwala Manzil, Kolsa Street, opposite Pydhonie Police Station, Mumbai” from Ajay Hiralal Parakh and others. At the time of purchase, the previous owners allegedly handed over tenant lists and other relevant documents to him. After the transaction, the previous owners issued a “Letter of Attornment” dated November 18, 2021, informing all tenants that Patel had become the new landlord of the property.

Patel further stated that in December 2021, he sent letters by post to all tenants seeking Know Your Tenant (KYT) details. In response, Anis Wadia, son of late tenant Umar Hasan Wadia, visited his office and submitted a written application along with supporting documents. Anis allegedly informed Patel that their surname was “Wadia” and not “Wadhwa” as reflected in the tenant records, and requested correction in the tenant list.

The documents submitted allegedly included old rent receipts from 2020, Aadhaar card and death certificate of Umar Hasan Wadia, ration card copies, electricity bills, Aadhaar cards of Ruksana Wadia, Anis Wadia, and his brother Yunus Wadia, along with a list of family members residing in the premises.

During verification of the documents, Patel claimed he noticed discrepancies as the Wadia family was occupying Room Nos. 13 and 14, whereas their electricity bill and ration card mentioned Room No. 7. When questioned about the discrepancy, Anis allegedly replied that the room number had been reflected in that manner since earlier times. Patel stated that he had instructed him to get the records corrected at the earliest.

Patel also stated that after taking over the building, he renamed “Motiwala Manzil” as “Patel Mansion” and from May 2022 onwards started issuing printed rent receipts to all tenants under the new building name. He said rent receipts for Rooms 13 and 14 continued to be issued in the name of late Umar Hasan Wadia.

According to Patel, he later corresponded with the office of the Divisional Engineer, Consumer Service, B-Ward, Electric House, Colaba, regarding consumer records linked to the premises. He alleged that Ruksana Umar Wadia and Anis Umar Wadia prepared forged and fabricated rent receipts for their wrongful gain and submitted the same before the electricity department authorities. Based on his complaint, an FIR has been registered against 

Ruksana Umar Wadia and Anis Umar Wadia Colaba Police Station and further investigation is underway.