It was familiar but paradoxical nevertheless: Mumbai sank up to its waist while its residents thirsted for drinking water.

Heavy rain since Tuesday night morning flooded low-lying areas and disrupted train and flight services. The showers stopped on Wednesday afternoon but, by then, the water was up to waist level in the island city and parts of Central Mumbai, stranding pedestrians, BEST buses and taxis.

An east-west trough brought 73 mm rain in Colaba and 32 mm in Santacruz. The trough remains over Mumbai and IMD deputy director R V Sharma predicted pssoble heavy spells for five or six hours on Thursday.

Heavily flooded areas included Shanti Nagar-Saat Rasta, Maratha Mandir, Nair Hospital, Amulak Junction-Wadala, Dr Shirodkar Market-Parel, Agripada Police Station, Mumbai Central, Hindmata Cinema, Dadar Workshop, Firoja Mansion-Radeo, Gilder Lane-Navjivan Society, Worli Naka, Alankar Talkies, Deonar Municipal Estate, Sir JP High School-Kharadi and Malad-Marve.

Andheri Subway was flooded till 2 pm; so were the Khar and Milan subways, though open to traffic. The worst hit were Kurla Bail Bazaar and Saki Naka. Traffic was diverted via BPT Road from Matunga Chaar Rasta.

“More than 15 bus routes had to be diverted due to waterlogging at Dadar TT, Bandra and Andheri,” said a BEST official.

Minor cave-ins took place in Parel and on Grant Road; 22 trees also collapsed.

Suburban rail services were disrupted till noon. Central Railway trains ran around 45 minutes late due to waterlogging at Sion, Byculla and Wadala. “We suspended six services on the main and harbour lines,” said Shriniwas Mudgerikar, chief spokesperson.

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