'Next 48 hours crucial for Mumbai': Rain brings parts of Maharashtra to pause; 6 dead | 10 points

MUmbai and other parts of Maharashtra, including Pune, feature been receiving heavily rain down o'er the past times couple of days, resulting in several deaths and bringing life almost to a standstill with roads, subways and rail tracks heavily waterlogged along with flight operations getting hit.Mumbai, the financial capital, has seen suspension of its lifeline – local trains – while schools, colleges as well as government offices were declared shut amid the pounding rainfall on Tuesday for which the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert. Follow Mumbai rain latest updatesIMD announced a red alert for Pune district as well on Tuesday.According to meteorologists, the torrential rains were triggered by a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal and the strengthening of monsoon winds.Maharashtra rains | Top updates– Maharashtra rains: Six persons have died and hundreds have been displaced over the last couple of days as heavy rains battered several districts of Maharashtra, causing floods, road blockages and widespread damage to crops, officials said on Tuesday, according to a PTI news agency report.– Rains paralyse Mumbai, 'next 48 hours crucial': Torrential rains in Mumbai on Monday and Tuesday saw several low-lying areas getting inundated, slowed down road traffic and local train services, affecting normal life in the metropolis and neighbouring areas. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who reviewed the flood situation with the disaster management department, said the next 48 hours would be crucial for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, which remain on high alert, according to the above-mentioned PTI report. – 500mm rain in 84 hours in Mumbai: Several parts of Mumbai received more than 200 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours, ending 8.30 am on Tuesday, with Vikhroli in the eastern suburbs reporting the highest downpour at 255.5 mm, the IMD said. According to a Times of India report, Mumbai and its surrounding areas recorded 500 mm rain over 84 hours till Monday. The Central Railway on Tuesday suspensed its local train services on the harbour line between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kurla stations due to submergence of tracks in a section after heavy rains.– Maharashtra rain death toll: At least six people have died in rain-related incidents in the state in the last couple of days, according to the PTI report. While the number of rain-related deaths in Mumbai was not known, a TOI report on Tuesday said two people had died - a compound wall collapse killed a 75-year-old watchman at Nepean Sea Road, and another man was electrocuted in Kanjurmarg.– Nanded worst hit: Nanded was among the worst-hit districts by the recent rains in Maharashtra, with over 290 people rescued from flood-affected villages and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) deployed alongside the Army, PTI reported. A News18 report, citing Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan, said on Tuesday that nine people had died in rain-related incidents in Nanded, while the total number of deaths across Maharashtra stood at 12. However, the death toll remains inconsistent across various reports. – Pune rains - red alert issued: Pune district administration said in a post on X on Tuesday that a red alert has been issued for August 19 with the possibility of heavy rainfall in the ghats along with strong winds. The district administration asked citizens to take precautions. – Schools, govt offices in Mumbai shut: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared a holiday for all government and semi-government offices in Mumbai on Tuesday, while advising private offices to allow employees to work from home, except for those in essential and emergency services. Schools also remained closed on Monday and Tuesday in Mumbai.– Mithi river crosses danger mark: Mithi river crossed the danger mark, leading to waterlogging in thickly populated areas like Kurla and Sakinaka, besides railway tracks and areas near the Mumbai airport. Visuals shared by Ward L BMC on X Mithi River showed evacuation of residents from Kranti Nagar (Kurla West). – Weather in Western Maharashtra, Konkan region: In western Maharashtra, Radhanagari dam in Kolhapur released 11,500 cusecs of water into the Bhogavati River after heavy inflows, causing the Panchganga River to flow above danger levels for the fifth time this season. In Konkan region, Raigad district recorded more than 160 mm of rainfall in Roha taluka on Monday, with the Kundalika and Savitri Rivers flowing above danger marks. The district administration declared a holiday for all schools and colleges on Tuesday.– Maharashtra weather forecast: The IMD has reportedly forecast intense rainfall for Konkan, including Mumbai, and parts of central Maharashtra for the next two days, while an orange alert has been sounded in Marathwada and Vidarbha, where the intensity of rainfall is expected to reduce to a yellow alert later this week.