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The city received torrential rains the entire day today and the India Meteorological Department has warned of heavy showers tomorrow as well.
After taking stock of the situation, Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde instructed the colleges and schools to remain shut tomorrow.
"With today's heavy downpour and predictions for heavier rainfall; schools, college authorities instructed to remained closed tomorrow," Tawde tweeted late this evening.
According to a senior official, it is a precautionary measure taken by the state government and once the IMD issued its forecast, the government declared half day working for its employees today. -- PTI
Operations at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport resume.
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Operations at Mumbai airport have been suspended for some time due to low visibility.
If you've just joined us, it has been raining incessantly since morning and with high tide just setting in and the rain showing no signs of abating, Mumbai could be in for another horror of flooding, traffic jams and long hours on the roads.
As per the Regional meteorological centre, Mumbai, the city will experience intermittent rain with heavy to very heavy rain fall in a few places in the city and suburbs over the next 24 hours.
As the financial capital stopped in its tracks, no respite was in sight as the MeT department forecast "extremely heavy rainfall" in the next 24 to 48 hours in the western coast of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, and parts of Gujarat
and Goa. Traffic jams were reported on all major arterial roads, including the Eastern and Western Express Highway, Sion-Panvel highway and LBS Marg as the rains continued since last night.
Waterlogging was reported in low-lying areas of Parel and Sion. A tree fell on the busy Saat Rasta road, affecting road traffic.
The Colaba weather station has recorded 15 cm to 20 cm (150-200 mm) of rainfall during the same time period, Ramesh added. He, however, declined to draw any parallel of the situation with that on July 26, 2005, when the city was inundated after being battered by rains and hundreds were killed. From July 26-27, 2005, Mumbai recorded 94 cm (944 mm) of rainfall in a day.
"10-15 cm of rainfall in a day is normal for Mumbai. The one the city received on July 26, 2005 was unprecedented," Ramesh said. He also said the IMD office in Mumbai was giving updates to the BMC and the state government at regular intervals. The IMD has already given heavy to very heavy rainfall warning to Maharashtra and Gujarat governments, he said.
Due to heavy winds and downpour since morning, six to seven flights had to do go-arounds while landing, and four to five flights were diverted to nearby airports, including an Indigo Guwahati-Mumbai flight to Ahmadabad, airport officials said. The single runway of the airport was, however, functional. A Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport spokesperson said there is an average delay of 35 minutes.
"Heavy rains and the strong winds have drastically reduced visibility to very low levels leading to diversions and go-arounds even though the main runway is open," a Mumbai airport source told PTI. Heavy rains lashed the city and adjoining Navi Mumbai and Thane regions, throwing life out of gear.
Image: The Dadar TT flyover this afternoon.
Rampal, 67, was dodging the arrest in connection with a case involving his followers, who opened fired at villagers in Rohtak, killing one person and injuring several others.
After Rampal failed to appear in court 43 times, the police were ordered to arrest him.
When the police marched to his Stalok Ashram, they were met with resistance as Rampal's supporters barricaded themselves inside the 12-acre premises.
A few of them had alleged that they were used as human shields and held against their will inside the ashram.
With no sign of Rampal surrendering peacefully, authorities cut water and power supply to the ashram.
At the end of the two-week stand-off, police launched a final assault on the ashram and flushed out Rampal and his supporters.
Five women and a baby were killed in the violence.
Two cases were registered against Rampal and 11 others in connection with the violence.
A special court set up inside the Hisar Central Jail, to hear the case against Rampal, pronounced its verdict today.
Authorities had earlier requested the court to postpone its judgement in light of the Central Bureau of Investigation court verdict in a rape case involving another self-styled godman, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.Also read: Who is godman Rampal?
Water has also entered the corridors of the King Edward Memorial civic hospital in Parel, but patients were moved to higher floors. The Meteorological department has warned of extreme weather with more rains all through the day. This is the longest duration of rain the city has experienced since the July 2005 floods. On 26 July 2005, around 2 pm Mumbai was struck by a severe storm and subsequent deluge. The IMD station in Santacruz recorded 944 mm of rain for 24 hours ending 8:30 am on 27 July.
The Met and the BMC has cautioned people against stepping of their homes and offices. Most people could make it to their offices since the rain intensified only after 10 am. Flights have been delayed by over three hours, some have been cancelled, while others have been diverted. Nine coaches and the engine of Nagpur-Mumbai Duronto Express derailed near Asangaon in Maharashtra's Thane district around 6:40 am today. No casualties or injuries were reported. The derailment occurred due to a landslide.
The Met predicts heavy rain will continue for the next 48 hours with heavy to very heavy rain predicted for at least the next 24 hours in Mumbai and its suburbs.
Image: The flooded corridors of the KEM civic hospital in Parel. Patients were moved to safety.
It has been raining incessantly for over 24 hours and with a high tide expected at 4.30 pm, Mumbai is bracing for a tough night ahead.
Services on the Western Railway were suspended, but have now resumed with services running late. Central Railway services have been suspended.
There are traffic jams across the city, with roads closed, traffic diverted due to water logging.
Skymet Weather said that in three hours from 8:30 am to 11:30 am, Dadar recorded 115 mm of rain and Mahalaxmi 105 mm with more and continuous showers predicted.
Anand Mahindra tweeted, "Typhoon-like weather. Cancelling my flight to Delhi for an Indo Australian meeting.Telling my Aussie friends I'm 'Down Under' water in Mumbai."
Three teams of NDRF stationed in Mumbai put on alert and two additional teams have been moved from Pune to Mumbai.
Image: @Laxmantweetsss tweets this picture of water logging at Sion station. However, Sion station usually gets waterlogged with very little rain.
It has been raining incessantly for over 24 hours and with a high tide expected at 4.30 pm, Mumbai is bracing for a tough night ahead.
Services on the Western Railway were suspended, but have now resumed with services running late. Central Railway services have been suspended.
There are traffic jams across the city, with roads closed, traffic diverted due to water logging.
Skymet Weather said that in three hours from 8:30 am to 11:30 am, Dadar recorded 115 mm of rain and Mahalaxmi 105 mm with more and continuous showers predicted.
Anand Mahindra tweeted, "Typhoon-like weather. Cancelling my flight to Delhi for an Indo Australian meeting.Telling my Aussie friends I'm 'Down Under' water in Mumbai."
Three teams of NDRF stationed in Mumbai put on alert and two additional teams have been moved from Pune to Mumbai.
Image: @Laxmantweetsss tweets this picture of water logging at Sion station. However, Sion station usually gets waterlogged with very little rain.
Mumbai has been experiencing continuous and heavy downpour since Saturday morning, with the regional Meteorological Centre, Colaba predicting the situation to remain the same for next 24 hours.
-- Waterlogging on Elphinstone Bridge. The bridge has been closed.
-- High tide at 4:35 pm; 3.32 metre-high waves expected.
-- Waterlogging at Hindmata, Worli, Dadar, Parel, Matunga. Traffic has been diverted in these areas which are low-lying.
-- Traffic affected at the Churchgate junction due to a tree fall.
-- Traffic affected at Dadar TT due to water logging.
-- Traffic jams on Eastern and Western Express Highways.
-- Heavy rains across Konkan, Marathwada, Vidarbha.
Image: An indicator at Churchgate station. The picture was tweeted by @pratyaksh_a 30 minutes ago.
Image: Rail tracks between Matunga and Sion, a low-lying area, are submerged in water. The picture was tweeted by @mayankbhagwat
No untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the two states, officials said. Authorities in Sirsa gave a 12-hour curfew relaxation from 7 am after no violent incident was reported from anywhere in the district.
Curfew had earlier been lifted from other towns of Haryana where it was imposed including Panchkula and Kaithal. Sirsa town is home to the sprawling Dera headquarters where the sect's followers had gathered in large numbers ahead of Ram Rahim's conviction.
However, most of the followers, who had come from different parts of Punjab, Haryana and elsewhere had left after the administration helped them come out of the premises. Life in sensitive districts of Punjab including Bathinda, Patiala and Moga where there is sizeable presence of Dera followers, was gradually limping back to normal.
However, the two states were still on high alert to prevent any incidence of violence or arson as was witnessed in Panchkula on Friday last after conviction of the Dera chief by the CBI court. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has appealed to the people, especially Dera Sacha Sauda followers, to respect the sentence pronounced by the CBI court in the case and help in maintaining peace in the state.
Khattar had said effective arrangements have been made to maintain peace in the state following the decision of the court. Strict action would be taken against any person who attempts to disturb the law and order situation which was reviewed at a high-level meeting held here yesterday, he added.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh yesterday met Governor V P Singh Badnore to apprise him of the law and order situation and the steps taken by his government to prevent any breakdown of law and order in the wake of the sentencing of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief. On the continuation of curfew in some sensitive ares of Punjab, the chief minister said the state government would review the situation again today before taking any decision on lifting the curfew imposed in some areas as a precautionary measure.
Curfew has already been lifted from five of the 10 districts where prohibitory orders were imposed. Ban on mobile Internet services in Punjab and Haryana would be lifted today. A decision on opening schools and colleges in the sensitive districts of Punjab, where these were shut for past few days, has been left to district authorities concerned, Amarinder had said yesterday.
IMAGE: Policewomen and a paramilitary soldier stand guard on a closed road leading to Sunariya Jail in Rohtak, yesterday, ahead of the sentencing. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice P C Pant allowed the Gujarat government's appeal challenging the high court verdict that it should pay for reconstruction and repair works of religious structures damaged during riots.
Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who had represented the state government, said that 'our plea has been allowed' and moreover the state government had told the court that it was willing to pay from ex gratia amount for repair and reconstruction works of various structures, shops and houses which were damaged.
"This scheme (of the government) has been accepted," Mehta said.
The court was hearing an appeal filed by the Gujarat government against an order of the high court directing it to pay compensation to over 500 shrines damaged during the 2002 riots, triggered after the Godhra incident. -- PTI
Prisoner number 1997 - the number was assigned to him since he was taken to Rohtak's Sonaria jail after a guilty verdict on Friday - has been unable to pull himself together, a jail inmate told NDTV.
After the sentence was delivered, Ram Rahim was taken for a medical examination. Then he was given simple prison clothes - a far cry from the glittering outfits he favours - and was lodged in a small cell, alone.
The inmate said jail authorities told him that Ram Rahim was kept secluded for his own safety. Ram Rahim's lawyer had asked that a couple of attendants be allowed to stay with him in view of his health. The 50-year-old reportedly suffers from migraine and backache.
Two senior officers have been assigned for the protection of the VIP prisoner, who had been accorded Z-Plus security by the Haryana government. Two more security staff are keeping guard near his cell.
Ram Rahim has been lodged in an approval cell, which is easily accessible and closest to the administration. The other two kinds of barracks are called special cell and high-security cell.
The inmate said since Friday, Ram Rahim had eaten no solid food. "He drank only some water and milk in between. He did not speak to anyone in jail," said the inmate, who had been out on bail since. The high-profile prisoner, he said, had arrived in a car.
The self-styled spiritual leader claimed he had film stars, cricketers and politicians among millions of supporters spread across several countries. His sprawling, 700-acre headquarters in Sirsa housed hundreds of followers. On Friday, his 200-car cavalcade to Panchkula court contained more than 25 luxury vehicles.
After the verdict, Ram Rahim had been flown in a special chopper from the court in Panchkula to the high security prison in Rohtak as his followers unleashed a spate of violence across the city, stoning the police and burning cars. The violence spread to the neighbouring states and reached the borders of Delhi and left 38 people dead.
For Monday's sentencing, the Haryana government -- which had been accused of underestimating the scale of violence that could follow - had arranged for multi-tier security. More than 4,000 police and paramilitary forces had been stationed across the town. The army had been put on stand-by.
-- NDTV
Last year in October, the Supreme Court modified the sentences of Nitish Katara murder case convicts Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal Yadav and reduced their jail terms to 25 years.
The apex court sentenced another accused Sukhdev Yadav alias Pehelwan to 20 years in prison.An apex court division bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra passed the order after hearing a detailed argument from both sides - the prosecution as well as the defence.
The apex court had on August 17, 2015, upheld the conviction of Vikas, Vishal and Sukhdev, saying 'only criminals are crying for justice' in this country.
The three convicts were serving a life-term awarded by the lower court in May 2008 for abducting and killing Katara, a business executive and the son of a railway officer, on the night of February 16-17, 2002, as they opposed the victim's relationship with Bharti, Vikas' sister and the daughter of Uttar Pradesh politician DP Yadav.
The Delhi High Court had on April 2, 2014, upheld the verdict of the lower court in the case and described the offence as "honour killing" stemming from a "deeply-entrenched belief" in the caste system.
The decision was taken after no violent incident was reported in the area.
This is the second time since Sunday the curfew has been relaxed, officials said.
Sirsa town is home to the sprawling Dera headquarters where the sect's followers had gathered in large numbers ahead of Ram Rahim's conviction.
"Authorities should lift the curfew permanently in the area as the law and order situation is under control," Bobby Soni, a localite, said.
"During the relaxation of curfew people can buy their household items. Also, schools colleges and other educations institutions will also remain open during the period," Special Commissioner (Civil), V Umashankar said.
Inspector General (Hisar range) A S Dhillon yesterday said there has been no report of violence by Dera followers in the district. -- PTI
IMAGE: Security forces personnel and police men patrolling the main market in Sirsa after the pronouncement of quantum of sentence for Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo
CSTM-Howrah Gitanjali Express diverted.
MOre details awaited.
Central Railway says Nagpur Mumbai Duronto Express derailed between Vasind and Asangaon.
There are no injuries to passengers.
"We are arranging buses to bring passengers to destination. Doctors and senior officers are already at site," it said. -- ANI
Photograph: ANI
Some passengers are injured and a rescue team has already rushed from Kalyan.
Further details are awaited.
On August 25, a local train running on Mumbai's Harbour line derailed, while it was returning to the Mahim platform.
Saving the first four coaches, a technical fault caused the derailment of coaches six, seven, eight, and nine.
Five-six persons sustained minor injuries, but no case of casualties or major injuries were recorded so far. -- ANI