New Delhi: Heavy rain and strong winds battered Mumbai on Sunday, disrupting flight operations, claiming one life and sparking a political confrontation
over the city’s preparedness for the monsoon season. As the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of more heavy rainfall, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared a holiday for all schools and colleges across the city on Monday.
The weather office retained a red alert for Mumbai and warned that the city could witness more spells of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over the coming hours.
Flight operations disrupted
Flight operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were affected after runway operations were suspended between 10.17 am and 11.17 am due to poor visibility and strong winds. The airport operator said the decision was taken after gusts of up to 42 knots reduced visibility and affected safe aircraft movement.
“At approximately 10.17 am, adverse weather conditions, including strong gusty winds of up to 42 knots and reduced visibility due to heavy rain, impacted runway operations.” The operator added that runway operations were “temporarily suspended” to ensure the safety of passengers, aircraft and ground personnel before services resumed about an hour later.
According to sources, 13 incoming flights operated by different airlines were diverted, while four IndiGo flights were cancelled. All diverted aircraft later landed safely in Mumbai after weather conditions improved. The cancelled IndiGo services included flights between Delhi and Mumbai and between Mumbai and Indore.
In a statement, IndiGo said, “Bad weather over Delhi and Mumbai has impacted flight schedule. We are closely monitoring the weather….we request you that you stay updated on your flight status.” According to Flightradar24, nearly 90 per cent of departing flights were delayed by around 65 to 75 minutes, while a large number of arriving flights also ran behind schedule.
Tree collapse claims one life
The heavy rain also turned fatal in Kurla West. A 63-year-old man, Yunus Kundawala, died after a tree collapsed onto a shop near the Hindi BMC School at Gomes Gown Building in the Kamani area at around 12.40 pm.
He was rushed to Fauzia Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Political row over monsoon preparedness
The rainfall also triggered a political confrontation over Mumbai’s civic infrastructure. Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad blamed the BJP for the city’s poor infrastructure, saying the party could not avoid responsibility after exercising influence over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for nearly three decades.
She alleged that the BJP had failed to improve civic infrastructure despite spending more than Rs 100 crore every year on drain desilting. Gaikwad also questioned repeated claims that monsoon preparedness was “100 per cent complete”, saying roads continued to flood, trees were uprooted and traffic was severely affected after every spell of heavy rain.
IMD warns of more rain
The IMD said heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely to continue over Mumbai and adjoining areas. The weather system also brought rain to parts of Delhi, while weather alerts remained in force for Kerala, Odisha and Jharkhand. Authorities have advised residents to remain alert as heavy rainfall is expected to continue.
