Video: Heavy rain hits Maharashtra, commuters trek home on flooded tracks in Palghar
Relentless rain continued to batter Maharashtra's Palghar district for the fourth consecutive day, bringing normal life to a near standstill as flooded roads, suspended train
Relentless rain continued to batter Maharashtra's Palghar district for the fourth consecutive day, bringing normal life to a near standstill as flooded roads, suspended train services and waterlogged neighbourhoods forced commuters to walk kilometres along railway tracks to reach home. Large parts of Vasai remained submerged on Tuesday, with roads resembling rivers and vehicles either inching through knee-deep water or breaking down midway. The disruption worsened through the afternoon as train services towards Virar were curtailed after water levels rose above the railway tracks, leaving thousands stranded. Read Full Story ROADS GO UNDER WATER, TRACTORS BECOME LIFELINE Among the worst-hit areas was Evershine City in Vasai East, where residents relied on tractors to travel through hip-deep water on the Vasai-Nalasopara Link Road. Tractor operators charged Rs 100 per passenger to ferry people to the railway station as regular vehicles struggled to move. For many, staying indoors was not an option. One resident modified his motorcycle with an extended exhaust pipe to keep the engine running through the floodwater so he could reach the passport office before a deadline.
"I just thought of trying this for the first time and it is working. I really have to reach the passport office," he said, while others around him wondered whether the office itself would remain open in such weather. Another commuter, Magesh, found his motorcycle giving up just as he reached the main road connecting Vasai East and Vasai West. He said he had no choice but to somehow reach Vasai railway station to catch a train to Andheri, where he works. Even as many residents struggled to commute, some ventured out in luxury cars wearing raincoats simply to experience the monsoon. SNAKES IN WATER, CHILDREN PLAY IN FLOODED STREETS As floodwaters remained stagnant through the afternoon, several vehicles were left stranded on submerged roads. Snakes were spotted swimming through the water even as children treated the flooded stretches like swimming pools. RAIL TRAFFIC HIT, COMMUTERS WALK ALONG TRACKS The situation at Vasai Road railway station turned chaotic after train indicators displayed "00.00 hours" for every service.
Western Railway suspended local train movement towards Virar after water levels crossed the prescribed safety limit on the tracks. Most suburban services terminated at Vasai Road, while only long-distance trains continued beyond. Unsure whether those trains would halt at Nalasopara or Virar, many passengers climbed across railway tracks between platforms in an attempt to board them. Others chose an even riskier option, walking for kilometres along the railway tracks towards Nalasopara and Virar in the hope of reaching home. Only a handful of local trains were seen arriving from the Virar end, while an AC local train slowly made its way towards Vasai. 'WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN EVERY YEAR?' The disruption triggered anger among commuters who said the situation repeats itself every monsoon. A woman employed at a hospital said she had witnessed the same scenes for more than a decade. "Why is that such things do not happen in Mumbai Central or Churchgate?
The BriefWire