Vasai: Three days of heavy rain brought life to a standstill across Vasai-Virar, with widespread flooding inundating residential areas, disrupting transport and leaving thousands of residents without electricity and internet connectivity. A red alert has been issued for Palghar district for Tuesday and all schools and colleges declared closed.Vasai-Virar received 213mm of rainfall on Saturday, 325mm on Sunday and 202mm till 7pm on Monday. Low-lying areas were submerged, water entered ground-floor homes, and major roads and marketplaces were under water. Incessant rain, coupled with strong winds, made trees and electricity poles fall, and damaged hoardings. In some areas, tin roofs were blown away, portions of balconies collapsed and retaining walls gave way. Power supply was disrupted for more than 12 hours in several localities. Access was cut off to Chulne village in Vasai West, which floods almost every monsoon, after internal roads and bridges across drains were submerged. Public transport was crippled. Western Railway was forced to suspend suburban train services between Vasai and Virar for several hours on Monday after tracks in Nalasopara got inundated. Scores of passengers were forced to get off trains at Vasai and walk along the tracks in waist-high water towards Nalasopara. Local trains, though, continued to run between Churchgate and Vasai Road. Long-distance trains could not proceed south of Virar due to which many were short-terminated at Vaitarna, Kelve Road and Palghar, and 22 trains were regulated at different stations. Civic bus services and autos stayed off the roads, forcing residents to rely on private tractors to cross inundated stretches. Around 50 persons trapped inside houses in Vasai and over 25 stranded in floodwaters in Virar were rescued. TNN
