Mumbai rains: People asked to stay at home

New Delhi, Jul 24: It is raining heavily across Mumbai and the city's municipal bodies have advised people to stay home and avoid travelling today. Schools and offices in some Mumbai areas have also closed for the day.The India Meteorological Department has warned that heavy to very heavy rains will hit Mumbai and coastal Konkan over the next 72 hours.All agencies concerned with disaster management, relief and rescue operations have been put in a state of high alert and people have been warned against venturing outdoors unless absolutely essential.IMD Mumbai director V.K. Rajeev said that entire Maharashtra is expected to get heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 12-72 hours.Incessant rains have lashed Mumbai, Konkan, western Maharashtra and Vidarbha since early Tuesday.Several parts of Mumbai have been waterlogged and flooded since Tuesday morning, severely restricting traffic movement and delaying local trains on Central Railway and Western Railway by 20-30 minutes.Roads in south-central Mumbai areas of Dadar, Wadala, Sion, Parel, Byculla, Govandi, Kurla, Malad, Jogeshwari, Santacruz, Dahisar, Bhandup and other suburbs were flooded at many places and traffic had to be diverted to alternative routes.According to BMC Disaster Management Cell, at 1 pm, the city received 4.17 cm rain, eastern suburbs 4.32 cm and western suburbs 3.06 cm.Many private offices in the affected areas allowed their employees to leave early in view of the constant downpour and disruption in road and rail services.The situation was identical in adjoining Thane and Raigad districts with rains since Monday night severely disrupting road and rail communication with Mumbai.Meanwhile, IMD officials have asked people to ignore any SMS warning of heavy floods in Mumbai, saying these are being circulated by rumour-mongers.Monsoon rains lash India (watch pics)