High tides flood parts of Mumbai

Mumbai, July 23: Sea waves measuring up to 5.1 metres lashed Mumbai and other places in the Konkan region, flooding homes of people living in the coastal areas here on Thursday afternoon, civic officials said. The highest tide in last 100 years — measuring up to 5.5 metres — is forecast for Friday. The sea water flooded low-lying coastal areas like Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai, Colaba, Worli, Mahim, Khar, Juhu, Versova and Marve, a police official said. Huge sea waves crossed the retaining walls at Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel, Nariman Point, Marine Drive, Girgaum Chowpatty and Worli Sea Face. Roads in Dadar, Mahim, Prabhadevi, Versova and Juhu were also flooded while in other places the sea waters entered homes of people, including the official bungalow of Mayor Shubha Raul at Dadar sea face. The high tide, which peaked around 1.30 p.m., is expected to last for another couple of hours.

The century’s highest tide is expected 2.05 p.m. on Friday. The civic authorities have put in place disaster management measures, an official said. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) had issued warnings to people in low lying and coastal areas to watch out for the gigantic tides and take adequate precautions. On Wednesday, the city witnessed a 4.85-metre high tide that flooded slums at Cuffe Parade and Vile Parle. The fire brigade had responded to distress calls and rescued 23 people from the affected areas. In a precautionary measure, the MCGM last week inserted big and small advertisements in the Mumbai newspapers warning people of the potential damage by the high tides and details of emergency services contact numbers. Civic officials said that MCGM would also monitor the situation in flood-prone areas through closed circuit TVs. As many as 11 hotlines have been established and 34 rain gauges are installed from where round the clock information on rainfall is being collected, and control rooms have been set up at all 24 civic wards, a civic official said. (IANS)