After more than 60 mm of rain fell in a single day, Mumbai and its suburbs experienced a torrential rainstorm that caused chaos. The Santacruz observatory recorded 62 mm of rainfall, while Colaba recorded 23 mm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Many parts of the city experienced widespread waterlogging as a result of this heavy rainfall, which also caused disruptions to normal activity. The disturbing scene of streets turned into rivers of trash was documented in videos that went viral on social media, especially from Sakinaka. The widely shared video depicts large volumes of trash floating through flooded streets, severely affecting traffic and making travel challenging.
On this post the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation replied by saying, “Labours and machinery were immediately deployed to stop the overflow and traffic was restored. The desilting work is being carried out by SWD deptt. Thanks for interacting with us!”
Many internet users have criticised the condition of the road. A user blamed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and wrote, “NO DOUBT OUR @BMC HAS NOT LEARNED ANYTHING FROM #COVID19cases @mybmcSWM.” Another user wrote, “What was expected? They have dug all the roads!!” A third user commented, “SakiNaka is the worst and this is every year problem … Suddenly when it pours down … It’s horrible. Roads are completely waterlogged …”
Many users also blamed people migrating from other cities to Mumbai for this situation. A user commented, “They like to live in this mess. They throw garbage and then park their vehicles bcoz of which the garbage cannot even be removed.” Another user wrote, “Uncontrolled migration of outsiders is the root cause, but now all other reasons will be cited to mask this truth.” The third user wrote, “Every city has its limits. Mumbai have crossed those limits. Stop Migration to Maharashtra - migration is a load on our infrastructure. Stop building new residential buildings.” The fourth user commented, “Mumbai's real problem is not infrastructure, not metro,not municipality, not police.. But real problem is unlimited migration from bimaru gutkhachhap bhaiya migrants..But you people dont have guts to talk on bimaru bhaiya migration... so stop fooling.. All this Problem due to unlimited migration from bhaiyas.. So talk on that some day.. Show some guts..”
A few users also linked the situation to the ongoing Marathi Language row. A user commented, “Barish ke pani se pucho Marathi ati h ya ni.... (Ask rain water if it knows marathi or not)” Another user wrote, “Are baap re pani to marathi nai bol raha usko bhi nikalo maharastra se. Sab ko UP bhej do all welcomed here bs urdu ko chod kr. (Water does not speak Marathi, send it to UP as all are welcomed here).”
Several areas of Mumbai experienced heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. Rainfall averages between 8 AM on May 20 and 8 AM on May 21 were 24 mm in the city, 26 mm in the eastern suburbs, and 40 mm in the western suburbs. The IMD categorised this rainfall as "moderate," meaning that locals should be ready for possible flooding and disturbances. Apart from precipitation, the BMC issued alerts about high tides, which are predicted to reach 3.07 and 3.79 meters at 6:04 AM and 6:35 PM, respectively. At 11:54 AM and 1:25 AM (May 22), low tides of 1.74 and 1.71 meters are anticipated. The city's flooding problem may get worse due to these tidal circumstances.