Thu Sep 26 10:06:12 UTC 2024: ## Mumbai Rains: Heavy Rainfall Subsides, But One Death and Other Incidents Highlight the City’s Vulnerability
**Mumbai:** Heavy rains that battered the city on Wednesday have subsided, with public transport resuming normal operations on Thursday. However, the downpour left a trail of destruction, including the death of a woman who fell into a stormwater drain in Andheri East.
A 45-year-old woman, Vimal Anil Gaikwad, was found dead in a drain near the Veravalli Reservoir in MIDC colony. The Mumbai civic body has launched a high-level probe into the incident and formed a three-member committee to investigate, expected to submit a report within three days.
Other incidents include two laborers struck by lightning in Kalyan’s Kamba village and a woman drowning near a waterfall in Khopoli.
Despite the downpour, essential services largely remained unaffected. However, the rains caused damage to four BEST buses, including three owned by BEST and one on wet lease.
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Mumbai and Thane districts, predicting continued heavy to very heavy rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning in isolated pockets. Palghar district remains under a red alert until Friday morning.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut was granted bail after being convicted in a defamation case filed by Medha Somaiya, wife of former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya. The court suspended his sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal the conviction.
While the rains have subsided, the incidents highlight the city’s vulnerability to heavy rainfall and the need for improved infrastructure to prevent such tragedies in the future.
First Piper 