"Once-In-A-While Kind Of Event": MMRC Official On Mumbai Metro Flooding; Affirms Passenger Safety (image:x.com/MumbaiMetro3)

Mumbai: The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) on Tuesday affirmed that there is no safety issue with the underground Metro system as flooding inside Acharya Atre Chowk station at Worli Naka raised concerns over commuters’ safety.

In a video statement, MMRC Managing Director Ashwini Bhide said that “this was a once-in-a-while kind of event,” and ensuring the passenger safety, she added that all standard operating procedures (SOPs) were followed after Monday morning’s (May 26) incident.

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“Passenger safety is of utmost importance, and all standard protocols are being followed by the MMRC. We ensure that people travel in the safest and most comfortable manner,” she said.

On Monday, as Mumbai was affected by a heavy downpour, the Acharya Atre Chowk Aqualine Station experienced water seepage through an under-construction entry point. In a statement to the press, @AshwiniBhide ,MD, MMRC, provides clarity on the cause of flooding and the necessary… pic.twitter.com/eCJ7bDTO4m

— MumbaiMetro3 (@MumbaiMetro3) May 27, 2025

The incident could not be prevented since it occurred suddenly, with around 90 mm of rainfall recorded in just one-and-a-half hours, Binde said.

“The entire corridor, except Acharya Atre Chowk, was absolutely safe and functioning normally,” she said.

Regarding the flooding incident, Bhide explained that due to heavy rain and high tide, a large volume of water was back-charged, causing the accumulation of around 11 lakh litres of stormwater in a pit at one of the three under-construction entry-exits of the station. Since the pit could not support the volume of water, and after soil seepage, water entered the underground station up to the concourse and platform levels. However, there was no water inside the tunnels or on the tracks, and the train reversal facility continued to be used.

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“We had a flood protection system in place in the form of a bund wall outside the entry-exit, but it was not designed for such an unprecedented event. So it could not withstand the pressure, and water entered the station,” she added.

The Acharya Atre Chowk station is part of Mumbai’s fully underground Metro Line 3 (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ). The first phase of the Metro line between Aarey Colony (JVLR) and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October last year. The second phase, spanning 9.77 km between BKC and Acharya Atre Chowk, was opened to the public on May 10.