Disastrous Rains in Mumbai...

After facing large-scale devastation in the century’s worst rainfall, Mumbai is slowly limping back to normalcy on Thursday with rail and air services partially restored even as relief and rescue operations are on in Raigad district of Maharashtra. Nearly 800 people are feared to have been killed in the worst-ever floods which hit Mumbai, Konkan, Thane and Navi Mumbai. So far, 513 bodies have been found, Maharashtra chief secretary R M Premkumar said on Thursday. Mumbai reported the maximum number of casualties — 273.

About 100 bodies were found in just one village — Jui near Mahad in Raigad district. The toll in Thane city and district was 102. Navi Mumbai reported 53 deaths. The chief secretary said crops on 30 lakh hectares of land in the state were damaged. The incessant rains took a toll of about 1,000 buffaloes. He said the rains were unprecedented. "Cherrapunji had 898 mm of rainfall on a single day in 1910, while Mumbai had 944 mm in 24 hours." Thane's resident deputy collector S S Bhise said flood waters had receded in most parts of the district and the priority was to restore water and power supply.

Meanwhile, long-distance train services on the Western Railway have resumed while on the Central Railway, all out-bound trains have been cancelled till Friday morning. The Mumbai airport, closed since Tuesday, became operational and the first commercial flight took off for Delhi at 1.20 pm with 145 passengers on board. Local trains have started plying between some stations, railway sources said. Power supply has been restored at various places, Reliance Energy sources said.

(source:TimesOfIndia.com)