Mumbai Rains Sink Vasai-Virar: 70% Underwater, Lakhs Without Power For 3 Days
Mumbai Rains Sink Vasai-Virar: 70% Underwater, Lakhs Without Power For 3 Days Published By, Last Updated: July 08, 2026, 10:48 IST Rail, road transport collapses
Mumbai Rains Sink Vasai-Virar: 70% Underwater, Lakhs Without Power For 3 Days Published By, Last Updated: July 08, 2026, 10:48 IST Rail, road transport collapses in Vasai-Virar as floods rage; only 16 of 114 municipal buses running, restricted to 5 routes, remaining 31 suspended entirely. The submerged twin city now resembles an island, cut off by flooded roads, railway tracks, markets and residential colonies alike. Seventy percent of Vasai-Virar lies submerged as two days of relentless rain refuse to relent, trapping lakhs of residents in a spiralling crisis. Floodwaters have breached homes and housing societies, triggering acute food and drinking water shortages. Thousands have fled to relatives’ homes or hotels as basic survival — not just mobility — becomes the immediate concern. The submerged twin city now resembles an island, cut off by flooded roads, railway tracks, markets and residential colonies alike. For three consecutive days, thousands of families have had no electricity, no drinking water and no mobile network.
With local trains suspended, commuters were forced to walk roughly 12 kilometres between Vasai and Virar just to reach home. Why Have Power And Water Sources Failed Together, And How Bad Is The Crisis? The two crises are directly linked, and that’s what makes this dangerous. Mahavitaran cut electricity supply as a safety precaution across Nalasopara, Evershine, Vasai (East), Virar (East) and surrounding rural pockets — a necessary move given flooded live wires, but one with a brutal side effect: it knocked out the water pumps that supply high-rise buildings. Families in multi-storey buildings have since been left with no way to draw drinking water at all. Scarcity has pushed prices to predatory levels, with a single litre bottle reportedly selling for as much as ₹50 in badly hit pockets. For residents already without power, light, or network connectivity for 72 hours straight, the added strain of paying inflated prices just to drink water has turned survival into a daily struggle.
How Badly Has Transport Collapsed, And Who Is Being Left Behind? Both rail and road transport between Vasai and Virar have effectively shut down. Of the municipal corporation’s 114 buses, only 16 are running, and even those are restricted to just 5 routes — the remaining 31 routes stand suspended entirely. This has left daily commuters and working residents with virtually no way to move, forcing the fire brigade to deploy boats in the worst-affected pockets to evacuate stranded citizens to safety. Are Residents Being Exploited Amid The Crisis? With buses and trains grounded, tractors have become the only viable way to travel by road — and operators are reportedly cashing in on residents’ desperation. Commuters say they’re being charged as much as ₹500 per head for what would normally be a short Vasai-Virar stretch, sparking sharp anger among flood-hit residents already reeling from days without basic utilities.
The BriefWire