MUMBAI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Following incessant rainfall over the past few days, India's western state of Maharashtra has declared public holiday on Tuesday in India's financial capital Mumbai and surrounding metropolitan area as a precautionary measure.
Only emergency services will continue to operate due to water logging in urban roads and submerged railway tracks, said Brijesh Singh, the spokesperson for the state government.
According to an airport official, around 54 flights scheduled for landing in Mumbai have been diverted to nearby airport due to poor air traffic situation at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Departure flights were delayed by an average of 120 minutes, leading to the cancellation of 33 departing flights and arrival of 22 flights post-mid-night, according to airport sources.
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted intermittent rain in cities and suburbs, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places over the next 24 hours.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) tweeted Mumbai has received heaviest rainfall in the last decade so far.
Over the past four days, the city has been witnessing heavy downpours with an average rainfall of 550 mm throughout the month of June, the corporation said.
