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Monsoon hits Mumbai with a bang; flights, trains, road traffic hit (Lead)
Mumbai, June 9 (IANS) The monsoon officially arrived here on Saturday and hit the city and other parts of Maharashtra with full fury, disrupting flights, the suburban train system and road traffic, besides claiming two lives, officials said.
The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rains with thundershowers in the city and suburbs over the next 48 hours, with isolated extreme heavy rainfall in some areas till Monday.
On Saturday, according to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the city was deluged with 76 mm rains till this evening (6 p.m.), and the eastern and western suburbs received 28 mm and 32 mm respectively.
In adjoining Thane, one person was electrocuted and another was killed in a lightning strike at Uttan in Bhayander.
There were at least two incidents of building crashes here as waterlogging was reported from several parts in Mumbai.
At least two firemen were injured when a portion of a dilapidated building on fire suddenly crashed in south Mumbai’s Fort area earlier this morning.
Four persons sustained minor injuries when the roof slab of a four-storeyed building Munji House crashed at Prabhadevi in central Mumbai late on Friday.
Flights at the Mumbai airport were affected, with Jet Airways announcing delays of around 40 minutes for departures and 20 minutes for arrivals due to congestion and bad weather till 3 p.m.
With a thunderstorm warning forecast over the Delhi Airport, more flight disruptions were expected in Mumbai later on Saturday.
The BMC said despite the heavy rains, flooding was prevented in even the most flood-prone zones in the city because of corrective works carried out in 120 areas.
Waterlogging was reported in parts of central Mumbai like Dadar east, Parel, Sion, Kings Circle and surroundings, with water entering low-lying homes and even the Byculla Police Station which functioned with over six inches of water inside the premises.
One area – the congested Mazagaon in south Mumbai – received a whopping 120 mm rains, resulting in flooding in the residential and commercial zones there.
The flooding resulted in diversions being implemented to prevent traffic snarls, even as vehicular movement was slowed down all over the city.
While the suburban train services on the Central Railway were delayed by around 15 minutes, the services on Western Railway remained largely unaffected by the rains.
In the neighbouring Navi Mumbai, heavy rains with gusty winds uprooted more than a dozen trees leading to huge traffic jams and hampering movement in different parts of the satellite city.
Since Friday night, the coastal districts of Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Thane and Palghar also continued to be lashed by heavy rains as the monsoon spread wings across the state bringing relief from the sultry heat experienced in the past few weeks.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.