India: Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, came to a near standstill on Monday as heavy monsoon rain flooded the city. Between 6 PM to 7 am, Mumbai got more than 300mm (11. 8 inches) of rain and almost all the roads were flooded, cars submerged and a major crisis in the transport sector. Both Eastern and Western Express highways in the city were flooded and this led to severe traffic congestion.
Suburban railway being a lifeline for millions of people across the city was also significantly impacted with several routes having water logged tracks resulting into the cancellation of several long distance as well as local trains. Some of the passengers were seen attempting to move in the waterlogged platforms in an effort to get to their next destinations.
At Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, all flights equally faced the brunt: More than 250 flights were delayed, while 30 others were cancelled, further complicating the journeys of passengers.
The continued rains came after New Delhi experienced unprecedented rainfall recently, incidents include the roof of an airport which collapsed killing several people.
Apart from Mumbai, monsoon rains led to floods and landslides in the northern and eastern parts of the India, and in Nepal as well. In Assam, more than two millions people were affected by flooding of river, Kaziranga National Park, which hosts one-horned rhinoceros was flooded and 6 Rhinos were killed. As per the latest reports, 66 people including those in Assam have lost their lives to floods and related incidences since May.
Far-western Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which shares borders with Nepal also witnessed flooding and affecting 31 villages.
As more rain is expected to fall, the emphasis is on evacuation and attempting to reduce the impact of the disaster. People have been urged to heed the announcements from the authorities and use proper precautions as the situation unfolds.
