The Hindu Business Line : Business activity badly hit by heavy rain

A gas delivery man on his way in the water-logged street in the western suburbs in Mumbai on Wednesday. The Regional Meteorological Centre forecast said ``heavy to very heavy rains'' is likely in the next 24 hours accompanied by gusty winds. - Paul Noronha

Mumbai , Aug. 4

TRADE and business in and around Mumbai were affected on Wednesday in the wake of the incessant rains that lashed the State, causing disruption to traffic flow on the major highways and expressways connecting India's commercial capital.

According to reports, the usually busy Mumbai-Pune expressway was affected following a landslide near Adosigaon. While more than 16,000 cars travel on this expressway everyday, the State authorities were able to open only one side of the expressway during the day. Traffic on the Mumbai-Goa, Nashik and Mumbai-Ahmedabad highways was also disrupted due to the rains over the past couple of days.

The Tamini Ghat connecting Pune and Roha in Konkan was closed following heavy rains and landslides, with this stretch not expected to be open for traffic for the next three or four days, although restoration work is on in full swing. Similarly, the Varandga Ghat connecting Pune to Mahad in Konkan was also closed due to rains.

In Mumbai, offices were reported thin attendance. Rains affected operations at the congested Jawaharlal Nehru port, with the piling up of uncleared containers continuing unabated. The worst hit were textile exporters, who are facing the threat of cancellation of orders on account of delayed delivery of goods.

"With production for Christmas and New Year sales in full swing and demand for textile items like bed linen, towels, kitchen linen and napkins increasing four-fold in the recent months, exports of these value added items have been completely jeopardised due to the congestion problem facing the port," according to Mr Lalit P. Desai, Chairman of the Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council. Reports from western India indicate that industrial production was also affected in neighbouring Gujarat, which has been experiencing floods caused by heavy monsoon rains. Companies such as drug maker Ipca Ltd and synthetic yard producer Omnitex Industries have reported damages to their plants and disruption in operation. Ipca, however, said it did not expect a major disruption in production, although floodwater has entered its new manufacturing unit located at Silvassa. The Regional Meteorological Centre of the IMD forecast said ``heavy to very heavy rains'' is likely in the next 24 hours and rains will be accompanied by gusty winds of speeds between 40 and 45 kmph. Fishermen have been asked not to venture into sea.

In the last 24 hours ending 0830 hrs, the Colaba observatory recorded 51.1 mm rainfall, while Santacruz observatory recorded 120.3 mm rainfall.

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