The Hindu : National : Heavy rain continues in Mumbai, schools closed

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Thursday, Jul 06, 2006

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National

Heavy rain continues in Mumbai, schools closed

Prachi Pinglay

Gujarat receives heavy rainfall, major rivers in south in spate

— Photo: PTI

A SIGHT AMID MISERY: Rainwater gushes into a manhole, presenting the picture of a whirlpool, on a Mumbai road on Wednesday.

MUMBAI: Heavy rain continued for the fifth consecutive day in Mumbai on Wednesday, though it stopped on Tuesday night. Due to heavy downpour and strong wind, train services were disrupted again and several areas remained waterlogged. Schools and colleges remained shut for the second day and there was little attendance in offices.

The Met Office recorded a total rainfall of 92.8 mm in Colaba and 100.2 mm in Santacruz from 8.30 am to 5.30 p.m. on Wednesday whereas on Tuesday just in three hours between 8.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m.

Colaba received 101.3 mm and Santacruz 103.6 mm. Central and harbour lines were badly affected with tracks remaining submerged at different stations. Though pumps have been installed at several places along the tracks, waterlogging was reported in many places making it impossible for the trains to run. Western line trains, however, were operated with delays. Several flights were cancelled or delayed. Bus transport was near-normal.

BMC spokesperson Dadasaheb Shivjatak said train services on all the three lines were operational by evening.

He informed that no holiday had been declared for Thursday.

6,000 people shifted in Gujarat

Manas Dasgupta reports from Ahmedabad:

At least 6,000 people in Navsari and Bulsar districts have been shifted to safer places as very heavy rain lashed south Gujarat region on Wednesday.

All the major rivers are in spate with Purna, Ambica, Kaveri and Auranga flowing above the danger level forcing authorities to shift people on the banks and cautioning others in the low-level areas to remain prepared for evacuation if the situation worsens.

In the absence of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a visit to the Russian state of Astrakhan, senior Cabinet Minister Ashok Bhatt presided over a Cabinet meeting here to review the flood situation.

Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel said the State machinery had been fully geared up to meet any eventuality and the Government had empowered the district collectors to take spot decisions for rescue and relief operations if the situation deteriorated.

In Surat city, 400 people from the low-level areas were shifted to safer places as the Tapi river was in spate.

Heavy rain also lashed many parts of the central Gujarat region, including Vadodara and Anand while the rainfall was moderate in Ahmedabad, where four people were killed on Tuesday.

Traffic was suspended on many highways due to waterlogging or damages to bridges while long-distance trains were running three to five hours behind schedule, also due to heavy rain in Mumbai.

Many parts of the Saurashtra region also received welcome showers while in Bhavnagar and Amreli districts, the rainfall was heavy.

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