Operations Halted on Mumbai Metro Line 3 Between Acharya Atre Chowk and Worli Following Heavy Rainfall and Flooding
Operations on a section of Mumbai’s Metro Line 3—the city’s first fully underground metro corridor—were temporarily suspended on Monday after heavy monsoon rains led to flooding at one of the stations.
The incident has not only disrupted metro services but has also raised significant questions about construction quality, safety protocols, and monsoon preparedness associated with this high-profile infrastructure project.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) announced the suspension of services between Acharya Atre Chowk and Worli stations after water began flooding into the Acharya Atre Chowk underground metro station, which forms part of the 33.5-kilometre Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ (Colaba-BKC-Aarey JVLR) underground metro line.
This corridor, known as Metro Line 3, is under phased development and is regarded as a cornerstone of Mumbai’s long-term urban transportation strategy.
In an official statement, MMRC clarified that the waterlogging occurred due to an unexpected failure in the station’s structural integrity.
The flooding was triggered by a sudden and intense spell of rainfall, which led to water ingress through an under-construction entry/exit structure located along Dr Annie Besant Road.
The agency reported that a reinforced cement concrete (RCC) water-retaining wall, meant to prevent water seepage at this entrance point, collapsed under the pressure of water entering from an adjacent utility line.
“Due to the unexpected volume of rainfall today, there was water seepage at the under-construction access structure of the Acharya Atre Chowk station.
The RCC wall at the entrance collapsed due to an abrupt inflow of water from a nearby utility connection,” the statement read.
As a precautionary measure, MMRC has suspended train operations between Acharya Atre Chowk and Worli to ensure the safety of passengers and metro staff.
Authorities have begun an internal review of the structural failure and its causes, and engineers are working on repairs and water removal at the affected site.
However, MMRC assured the public that metro services on the remaining stretch—from Aarey JVLR to Worli—remain unaffected and continue to operate as per schedule. Commuters using this segment have not experienced any disruptions.
Meanwhile, videos of the waterlogged metro station went viral on social media, triggering a wave of public criticism and political commentary.
One particularly disturbing video shows rainwater cascading down an escalator, while another clip captures the collapse of a false ceiling and scattered machinery inside the station premises, including in areas such as the ticketing bay and passenger platforms.
The incident sparked political backlash, with opposition leaders using the moment to question the government’s infrastructure priorities and quality control.
The Congress unit in Kerala posted a video online, criticizing the ruling government and alleging corruption. “On October 5, 2024, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated this stretch of Mumbai Metro Phase-3. This is its state after just 7 months. There is large-scale corruption being masked as infrastructure development,” the tweet read.
It is worth noting that the Acharya Atre Chowk station was only recently added to the operational network. On May 9, 2025, the MMRC extended underground services between Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Acharya Atre Chowk, marking a milestone in the phased rollout of Metro Line 3.
The flooding incident, however, has reignited serious concerns over whether sufficient risk assessments and waterproofing measures were undertaken during the planning and construction of this underground system, especially given Mumbai’s well-documented vulnerability to seasonal monsoon flooding.
Metro Line 3, envisioned as a high-capacity, high-frequency solution to Mumbai’s traffic congestion, is expected to play a crucial role in transforming the city’s public transport landscape.
With a cost estimate of over ₹37,000 crore, the project is one of the most ambitious metro infrastructure initiatives in India.
As repair and safety assessment efforts continue at the affected station, MMRC is likely to come under increased scrutiny from both government watchdogs and the public.
The agency has not yet confirmed a timeline for the resumption of services on the disrupted stretch, stating that further updates will be issued following safety clearances.
For now, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the engineering and environmental challenges inherent in large-scale underground construction projects, particularly in a city like Mumbai, where urban infrastructure and natural forces are often at odds.
