Schools and colleges in Mumbai and its suburbs will remain shut on Thursday amid a red alert for heavy rains, officials said.
School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar, the guardian minister for Mumbai city, declared a holiday as heavy rains pounded Mumbai.
A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official said the holiday has been declared as a precautionary measure as the Met department has issued a red alert predicting extremely heavy rainfall till 8:30 am on Thursday.
"All schools and colleges under BMC's jurisdiction will remain closed on Thursday, considering the safety of the students," the BMC stated.
The civic body also appealed to citizens to step out of their homes only if necessary.
"Commuters are advised to check weather updates and plan accordingly," the civic body said.
Heavy rains have been lashing Mumbai and its suburbs since Wednesday afternoon, inundating low-lying areas, stopping local trains on tracks between Kurla and Thane stations and stranding passengers even as traffic crawled on roads.