Four straight days of torrential monsoon rains crippled India’s financial hub, Mumbai, and its suburbs, stalling trains and slowing traffic, the reports had stated on Tuesday.

Schools in two of the suburbs where flooding was at its worst remained closed.

According to Maharashtra state Education Minister Vinod Tawde, school heads in the city have been asked to make a decision about the situation in their localities.

Mumbai, with a population of over 18 million, is capital of Maharashtra state.

The city’s dabbawalas, famous for rarely failing to deliver daily hot lunches in Tiffin boxes from homes to offices, also suspended operations.

“We did not collect the Tiffin today because of the water-logging. Our people find it hard to use their cycles in knee-deep water,’’ Mumbai Dabbawalas Association’s spokesperson Subhash Talekar said.

“Food packets and water were distributed to thousands of passengers at railway stations,’’ Wester Railway spokesman G Mahapurkar said.

A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was rescuing residents of the flooded Vasai area in boats, while another was assisting passengers at Nallasopara railway station.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Indian Navy was also on standby.

Roads in Ghatkopar, Byculla, and Matunga, among other areas, were all under knee-deep water.

“More than 100 additional pumps had been deployed to drain rainwater,’’ Fadnavis said in a Twitter post.
The Meteorological Department has predicted further heavy showers until Thursday.

Report says annual monsoon rains often wreak havoc with transport and infrastructure in Mumbai.