Severe storms and torrential rainfall have claimed the lives of at least four people in Mumbai, and its neighbouring areas. The intense weather has led to the closure of schools and caused major disruptions to train services.
While three died of lightning, a 45-year-old female security guard drowned in an open drain in Andheri’s MIDC area on Wednesday. While returning from office, the victim, Vimal Gaikwad, a resident of Powai’s Milind Nagar fell into an open stormwater drain around 9.20 p.m. The fire brigade fished her out around 11:30 p.m. from Veravali Reservoir outlet, a few meters away from the spot, and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead, as per the BMC officials.
Ms. Gaikwad was the sole breadwinner of her family as her spouse is a differently-abled person. Following her accidental death, BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani on Thursday ordered constituted a three-member committee and ordered have submit a report within three days.
Mumbai rains LIVE updates - September 26, 2024
Mumbai Police have also registered an accidental death report (ADR) and launched a probe. Three people died due to lightning strikes in separate incidents on Wednesday in neighbouring Thane district.
Aaditya, Varsha slams Shinde govt.
Calling the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government inefficient, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray accused the current dispensation for failing to provide relief mechanisms for citizens during Wednesday’s storms and heavy rains. He criticised the government for the flooding in Mumbai, Thane, and Pune.
The former State Minister said that the Western Express Highway in the capital, a key route in the western suburbs, was submerged on Wednesday. “Such flooding on this highway had only been reported after the massive July 26 rains in 2005,” he said.
Mr. Thackeray accused the government of failing to provide relief mechanisms for citizens during such emergencies. “We, as the undivided Shiv Sena, were always present when needed. But yesterday, no one from the Sena-BJP alliance was on the ground in Mumbai, Pune, or Thane to assist people. Even civic body officials were nowhere to be seen,” he said.
Despite the city having 400 pumps and five pumping stations, they were ineffective in managing the situation, he claimed.
The Sena (UBT) leader further alleged that for the past two-and-a-half years, no appointments had been made for 15 assistant municipal commissioner positions. He questioned how citizens could resolve their grievances in the absence of local representatives and emphasized the need for immediate civic body elections.
Pointing out that civic bodies are currently run by administrators reporting to the Urban Development Department, which falls under the Chief Minister, Mr. Thackeray criticised the governance of these agencies. He also took aim at Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, blaming him for train delays and overcrowding caused by the rains.
Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad echoed Mr. Thackeray’s sentiments, calling the government’s negligence a ‘cold-blooded murder’ and not an ‘accident.’
Raising several concerns around the BMC’s monsoon preparedness, Ms. Gaikwad said, “Why did Vimla Gaikwad have to lose her life? Despite spending crores on drain cleaning and monsoon preparedness, why is Mumbai submerged every time it rains? And worse, why has an innocent life been lost due to sheer negligence?”
Precautions taken
IMD issued an orange alert for Mumbai, highlighting heavy rainfall and a red alert for Palghar district on Thursday. BMC also declared Thursday as an official holiday for all schools and colleges, due to heavy rainfall.
However, private forecasters, popularly known as ‘Mumbai Nowcast’ run by Shivam Khandelwal and ‘Mumbai Rains’ by Rushikesh Agre issued a red alert for Mumbai and Thane on September 26.
Meanwhile, 18 NDRF teams and six SDRF teams have been deployed across Maharashtra to combat any contingencies.
Published - September 26, 2024 12:54 pm IST
