Mumbai Metro Floods After Heavy Rain: 11 Lakh Litres of Water Enter Acharya Atre Chowk Station
Mumbai, 28th May 2025: Just a day after rainwater flooded Mumbai’s newly inaugurated Acharya Atre Chowk underground Metro station, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) Managing Director Ashwini Bhide clarified that the incident occurred due to water gushing in from a nearby stormwater drain.
Bhide stated that over 11 lakh litres of water had accumulated in a pit adjacent to one of the entry-exit points, which was still under construction. This massive volume overflowed into the station following intense rainfall combined with a high tide event on Monday.
“On Monday, Mumbai received nearly 90 mm of rain within 90 minutes, followed by a high tide,” Bhide explained. “This overwhelmed the city’s stormwater drainage system. Instead of discharging into the sea, water backflowed, especially into areas where work was still underway.”
The rainwater rapidly filled the pit near the under-construction entry-exit point and, due to soil erosion, breached the bund wall designed for flood protection. The water swiftly entered the concourse and platform levels of the station.
The MMRC immediately activated disaster management protocols. All passengers at the station were evacuated safely, and operations on Line 3 continued between Aarey JVLR and Worli stations, with trains reversing just beyond Acharya Atre Chowk.
“Despite the flooding, around 40,000 commuters still travelled on the route on Monday,” Bhide said. “By Tuesday at 6:30 am, regular services resumed across the line, except at the affected station.”
To prevent a repeat of the incident, MMRC is now constructing a permanent protection wall that can withstand similar water pressure. Bhide assured that this infrastructure upgrade will be completed within a couple of months, along with the remaining four entry-exit points of the station, which currently have only two operational.
While photos and videos of the waterlogged station went viral, drawing criticism, Bhide emphasised that the incident was an exceptional case and reiterated that the station remains structurally safe.
