Heavy monsoon rains in Mumbai have paralysed India’s financial hub, inundating large parts of the city, disrupting daily life and forcing the cancellation of flights and trains, BBC reported.

Several neighbourhoods remain submerged in waist-deep water, with residents wading through flooded streets as clogged drains overflowed. According to BBC, authorities rescued around 600 passengers stranded on an overcrowded monorail that stalled mid-journey, with more than 20 people requiring treatment for suffocation.

The India Meteorological Department has said the city recorded 800mm of rainfall in just four days, far exceeding the monthly average for August. A red alert remains in place for Mumbai and surrounding districts, with forecasts of continued heavy downpours before conditions ease later in the week.

Rain-related incidents across Maharashtra have left at least 21 people dead. Schools and colleges in Mumbai are shut, and over 350 residents have been moved from low-lying areas to temporary shelters. The city’s suburban railway, relied upon by millions of commuters, has faced severe delays, while airlines confirmed the cancellation of around 50 flights.

The chaos has highlighted weaknesses in the city’s urban planning and emergency response. Opposition leaders accused the government of failing to act on repeated weather warnings and said newly built infrastructure had not prevented fresh waterlogging hotspots. Social media users also criticised the poor state of drainage systems despite major investments in metro, coastal road and sea link projects.

Experts told BBC that while Mumbai has undergone significant infrastructure expansion, improvements to ageing drainage networks and climate-resilient planning have lagged behind population growth.

Home to over 12mn people and contributing significantly to India’s economy, Mumbai continues to struggle with the increasing impact of extreme weather events during the monsoon season.