Torrential rains disrupt normal life in Maharashtra, Mumbai, Raigad, Pune, Thane, and Konkan bear the brunt of the downpour

The incessant rainfall in Maharashtra over the past few days has severely disrupted normal life in various districts of the state. Due to flooding, landslides, water accumulation in low-lying areas, rivers overflowing, and disruption of road, rail, and air services, the state administration has issued a high alert. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, predicting extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds with a speed of 80 to 90 km per hour over the next few hours.

In the Raigad district, four rivers are flowing above the danger mark, resulting in a flood-like situation that has severely affected normal life, and the district administration has initiated emergency relief measures. In Badlapur, the Ulhas River has reached a level of 17.50 meters, and the Badlapur Municipal Council has arranged temporary accommodation for around 12,000 people.

In the Sangli district, the Krishna River has seen a significant rise in water levels due to rainfall over the past four days. The Chikurde check dam has been submerged, and water has reached near the central bridge of the Krishna River in Aitawade Khand, affecting traffic between Sangli and Kolhapur. Citizens living on the riverbank in Pimpri have been alerted, and floodwater has entered the Shri Mooriya Gosavi temple, while the Kajubai temple and Ravet barrage have also been submerged.

Due to continuous rainfall, the Amba River has overflowed onto the Mumbai-Goa national highway, causing a five-hour traffic disruption, while the highway was also closed in the Wakan area of Nagothane. On the other hand, train services on the Mumbai-Pune railway route have been affected due to landslides. Train services between Karjat and Lonavala have been disrupted, and local trains in Mumbai have been running around 15 minutes late on both up and down lines. There was an unusual rush of passengers at Kalyan railway station, although trains ran on schedule from Church Gate to Vasai Road, despite delays, and limited services were operated on the Vasai-Virar section.

Several morning flights from Mumbai were canceled due to severe weather conditions. However, the state assembly proceedings were not affected, and many members of the legislative assembly reached the assembly directly from the airport. Later, due to heavy rainfall, the assembly proceedings were adjourned at 11:10 am and will resume on Tuesday.

In Lonavala, 625 mm of rainfall was recorded over the past 24 hours, the highest single-day rainfall in the current monsoon season. So far, a total of 1715 mm of rainfall has been recorded in the season, compared to 2502 mm during the same period last year. Several incidents of water entering homes, trees falling, water accumulation on roads, and traffic disruption have been reported in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and other areas of Konkan.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has appealed to citizens to avoid venturing out of their homes unless necessary, stay away from trees, dilapidated buildings, hoardings, electric poles, coastal areas, and flooded spots, and not park their vehicles under trees. Citizens have been advised to rely only on official information and contact the BMC helpline 1916 in case of any emergency. Around 15,000 officers and employees of the BMC and other agencies are deployed in various areas to tackle the situation, and senior officials are continuously monitoring the situation.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital, reviewed the flood situation in Mumbai and Konkan through a video conference. He inquired about relief operations and party activities in the affected districts and directed that assistance be provided to the affected people immediately. He also instructed ministers Bharta Gogawale, Yogesh Kadam, and Aditi Samant to visit the flooded areas in Mahad and Raigad, oversee relief work, and shift affected people to safe locations.

As the guardian minister of Mumbai, Shinde held a review meeting with Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide from the hospital and directed the authorities to take immediate action on public representatives' complaints, remove dangerous trees, monitor manholes, and keep a close watch on landslide-prone areas. Shinde has been undergoing treatment in the hospital for the past three days due to fatigue and throat infection and has shown improvement in his health.

The state disaster management authority has advised private institutions in Mumbai to implement work-from-home for employees wherever possible, while half-day holidays have been declared for non-essential government and semi-government offices. Citizens have been advised to avoid non-essential travel and follow only official guidelines. On the other hand, the police have also appealed to avoid unnecessary travel between Mumbai and Pune due to landslides and continuous rainfall until further orders.