The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday dismissed as fake a widely circulated message claiming that schools and colleges in the city would remain shut on Wednesday due to a ‘red alert’ for heavy rain.
In a post on X, the civic body clarified that it had not announced any holiday for August 20. “This message is fake. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has not issued any such information through its official social media platforms,” it said.
The BMC also shared a screenshot of the misleading message, which had been designed to resemble an official notification from the civic body’s verified account. The post had spread rapidly across WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms during the day.
What the Viral Message Claimed
The fabricated alert stated that all schools and colleges in Mumbai and its suburbs would remain closed due to a “red alert” warning from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The false claim caused confusion among parents and students, prompting the civic body to issue a clarification.
IMD Forecast For Mumbai
According to the BMC, the IMD has issued an orange alert for Mumbai on August 20, forecasting heavy to very heavy rain at a few places in the city as well as in neighbouring Thane and Palghar districts.
A red alert, which signifies the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall, has been issued only for Raigad district, the civic body added.
The BMC has urged residents not to believe or circulate unverified messages and to rely only on official updates from its social media handles and the IMD for weather-related information.
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