MUMBAI, July 5 -- Large parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) turned into a waterlogged maze on Saturday as torrential rain pounded Thane, Navi Mumbai and Vasai-Virar. With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert, incessant downpours over the past 24 hours left thousands stranded, submerged low-lying areas, paralysed traffic, disrupted train services, triggered tree and wall collapses, and turned pothole-ridden roads into a commuter's nightmare. Due to low visibility and harsh weather conditions, as many as six flights were cancelled from the Navi Mumbai International Airport. Among the worst-hit stretches were the Mumbra-Panvel Road at Shilphata, Diva, Saket in Thane, and parts of Kalyan, Ambernath, Bhiwandi and Dombivli, where severe waterlogging slowed traffic to a crawl. Even the approach roads to the ancient Ambernath Shiv Temple went under water, inconveniencing residents and devotees alike. Thane recorded 118 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, while Raigad received an average of 103.8 mm during the day. The Amba and Kundalika rivers were flowing above their warning levels, prompting the district administration to alert residents living in low-lying areas. Officials, however, said the overall flood situation remained under control, with no casualties, livestock losses or evacuations reported till Saturday evening. Navi Mumbai bore the brunt of the deluge, with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) recording nearly 200 mm of rainfall in 24 hours by Saturday night - a level classified as extremely heavy rainfall. The downpour disrupted wholesale trade at the APMC market....