Applause to the unsung heroes: NDRF, RPF, Volunteers rescue over 450 stranded passengers in #MumbaiRains

Mumbai, July 11: Mumbai drenched in rainfall created disruption in the quite busy streets of the city. With waterlogging and knee-deep water around many places, people were waiting for the over drooping rain to take a halt. While the heavy rains brought the entire city to a standstill, the National Disaster Response Force was on spree for fulfilling their duty.

 

Mumbai recorded 184 mm rainfall, the highest 24-hr rainfall in four years on July 10. A strong consequence of this was disruption of all train services between its suburbs Virar-Nalasopara, as the tracks lay submerged under water. Over 450 passengers of the Vadodara Express were stuck in the floods at Nalasopara station. Without much ado, these passengers were rescued by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF).

Passengers waded through chest-deep water to seek shelter. The passengers on the trains coming into the city from outside were stranded at Virar, Vasai, and Nalasopara. The Vadodara express train with over 1,000 passengers left Vadodara the previous night and was scheduled to reach Mumbai Central at 4.45 a.m., but couldn’t, due to severe waterlog.

 

The NDRF and RPF arranged 11 buses to ferry the passengers from the station to Naigaon, where they had arranged food. Regardless of the facilities impeded on the passengers, some of them asserted disappointment for not receiving any facility by railway. While the local railway officials cleared the air saying the distribution of food and water was delayed because RPF staff had to wade through water on the tracks and distribute it by hand, a few volunteers were up and running as early as 6 am to help people.

The relief operation triggered a perfect example of ‘come what may, the officials are here to help you’. Showing immense dedication to resolving the issues, the people couldn’t control their gratitude for the efforts of these unsung heroes.

While it would have been easy for those 50 volunteers to have stayed safe in their homes, they decided to selflessly wade through chest-deep waters to provide relief to complete strangers in distress. #GoMumbai