Mumbai rains: MMR schools to remain shut today over alert

An adult guides a scared child through a water-logged road in Pratiksha Nagar, Sion. PIC/Kirti Surve Parade

Municipal bodies of Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and Bhiwandi have declared an official school holiday for today August 19, as well. "Considering the safety of school students due to the heavy rainfall in the city of Brihanmumbai, a holiday is being given to the students of all managements and all mediums of primary/secondary/private aided/unaided schools as well as teachers and non-teaching staff in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation area on Tuesday,' said the notice.

As per the notice, any trainings and exams scheduled for Tuesday are to be rescheduled for later at the school level. This comes after the heavy rains on Monday, which called for early school closures in and around the city. Schools situated in Dadar, Sion, Mahim, and Matunga were seen sending the secondary school students home early after flooding reports.

"The secondary school students who were already on school grounds were sent home as and when the parents came to pick them up. While the BMC did not declare a holiday in the morning, we had begun taking precautionary measures after the heavy downpour," said a school principal. Schools around Mahim and Mazgaon also took cognisance of where the parents and students were arriving from. Students from flood-prone neighbourhoods like Chinchpokli, Byculla, Sion, and Dharavi, among others, were allowed to leave early for the day.

Parents were seen wading through water to pick up their wards from schools in localities around Goregaon. PIC/ADITI ALURKAR

Shortly after, BMC issued a notice declaring a holiday for all schools held in the afternoon session; many of which are primary schools. "The notice sent in by BMC came in too late. Our young students had already arrived, and we had no option but to keep schools open," said a principal from a Mulund school.

Parents are bracing themselves for the days to come. "Our children were sent home early today, and we were informed that the school will remain closed tomorrow. However, we have been asked to brace ourselves for online schooling since there may be a red alert for days to come," said a parent whose children attend a Mahalaxmi-based school.

The city also saw school buses stuck in water and traffic for as long as four hours, informed bus attendants. "Had this alert been given much earlier, the situation would have been much easier. Bus operators pick up children as early as 6 am, so it's best if they stay at home or within school premises. As for tomorrow, we will be calling up the schools and deciding what to do. We are even willing to work on Saturday as long as student safety is ensured," said Ramesh Manian, a school bus operator.

Std XI admissions

Maharashtra's Std XI admission process under the ‘Special Round' has now been extended until Friday August 22, owing to heavy rains. Some degree colleges in Mumbai are also considering online classes amid heavy rains.

Families shifted to school after wall collapse in Chembur

The wall collapse in Chembur

Displaced families were sheltered in a Mumbai Public School building after a wall collapsed in Chembur's Vashi Naka. "Two families, with four members each, have been rescued and given shelter, while another family has moved in with their relatives," informed an official from the rescue teams. The two families have been given beds in a single classroom, while food packages are being arranged for them. Rescue teams are currently cleaning up the debris while helping the displaced members salvage their belongings.