Mumbai on High Alert: Next 48 Hours Crucial as Rains Batter Maharashtra
- MediaFx
- Aug 19
- 2 min read
TL;DR 👉 Maharashtra is reeling under heavy rains with 6 people dead, farmland destroyed, and Mumbai logging 500mm rain in 84 hours. The next 48 hours have been declared critical by CM Fadnavis. Schools and offices are shut, transport is disrupted, and rescue operations are underway.
Monsoon in Maharashtra has turned deadly. In just a few days, 6 people have died while hundreds are being evacuated from low-lying and flood-hit areas. Authorities say the next 48 hours are the most crucial, especially for #Mumbai, #Thane, #Raigad, #Ratnagiri, and #Sindhudurg.
Streets Flooded, City Stuck
Mumbai has received around 300 mm of rain in just 24 hours, and nearly 500 mm in the last 84 hours. Areas like Vikhroli (255.5 mm), Byculla (241 mm), and Santacruz (≈238–255 mm) have seen some of the heaviest downpours. Roads are submerged and trains are crawling, making daily travel nearly impossible.
Schools & Offices Shut Down
The city’s schools and colleges are closed. Government offices are also mostly shut, while private companies have asked employees to work from home. Daily wage workers, however, have no such option and are the worst hit.
Farmers Facing Heavy Losses
In rural Maharashtra, over 4 lakh hectares of farmland has been damaged. Farmers in Yavatmal, Beed, and Nanded are reporting major crop loss. For small farmers already struggling with debt, this is a crushing blow.
Rescue Operations in Action
In Marathwada, NDRF and Army teams are working round the clock. Over 290 people have been rescued in Nanded alone, but many still remain stranded in flood-prone areas.
Weather Warnings Continue
The IMD has issued orange to red alerts. Very heavy rainfall is expected in Konkan and central Maharashtra. Pune ghats are also on high risk, with chances of landslides and flash floods.
Life on Hold in Mumbai
Traffic jams, waterlogging, and cancelled trains have paralysed the city once again. While wealthy residents with cars can still manage, it is the working class – street vendors, daily workers, slum dwellers – who are suffering the most.
MediaFx People’s Take
Every monsoon, the same story repeats. Floods in Mumbai are not just a “natural disaster” – they are the result of poor planning, bad drainage systems, and unchecked construction. The rich recover quickly, but it is the poor and the farmers who lose everything.
If leaders are serious, they must improve public infrastructure, ensure crop insurance actually benefits farmers, and stop treating monsoon disasters as yearly surprises. The people deserve more than sympathy speeches – they deserve action.
