Maharashtra Monsoon Fury; 13 Dead, Rail And Road Networks Disrupted

According to the India Meteorological Department's forecast, the monsoon will remain active in Maharashtra over the next 24 to 48 hours and rainfall intensity is likely to persist across most parts of the state. A warning for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall has been issued, particularly for the Konkan districts of Mumbai, Mumbai suburbs, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis warned of a possible cloudburst-like spell in Nashik on Tuesday and said that the State machinery has been put on high alert as heavy rains are expected to continue until July 8.

The CM chaired a meeting at the Disaster Control Room in Mantralaya after heavy rains and landslides in various parts of Maharashtra. “We are keeping a close watch on the situation, and all agencies have been alerted,” he said. He also pointed out that the authorities are working to manage landslides, swollen rivers, and rescue operations.

“The low-pressure system currently sitting over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a deep depression. Because the primary impact zone (fear zone) of this system heavily blankets the Konkan coast, the region is experiencing ferocious winds that could peak at 90 kmph,” he said.

In Mumbai, a three-storey chawl (tenement) collapsed on Sunday night in Janta Nagar in Mahkhurd area killing six persons, including five children and one woman. A rescue operation was launched on a war footing to pull out those trapped under the rubble, who were then rushed to nearby medical facilities.

Expressing grief over the incident, Fadnavis announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased, whereas State Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan announced a stringent inquiry will be initiated into all such dangerous and illegal buildings in the city.

The State Disaster Management Authority advised private offices in Mumbai to allow employees to work from home and announced a half-day for non-essential and semi-government offices in view of the heavy rains.

One person was killed while a search was underway for two other missing family members after their house was buried in a landslide following heavy rains in Pune district. The incident occurred at Patan village in Maval tehsil. Three members of a family were trapped after their house was buried under debris when a landslip struck the village in the early hours.

Train services on the crucial Mumbai-Pune rail corridor came to a standstill early on Monday after heavy rainfall triggered multiple landslides in the Karjat-Lonavala Bhor Ghat section, disrupting one of the busiest railway routes in Maharashtra. The disruption has forced Central Railway to cancel, divert, reschedule and short-terminate more than 100 trains, affecting thousands of passengers travelling within Maharashtra and to several other states.

Heavy rain and severe waterlogging paralysed Western Railway operations too, leaving more than 20 long-distance trains stranded across various stations in Mumbai and south Gujarat, as tracks remained submerged. More than 40 train services were affected by cancellations, diversions and delays.

Heavy rains also disrupted operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, leading to the diversion of several lights to nearby airports until 3:30 PM. The adverse weather affected visibility and air traffic management, causing delays and operational disruptions.

Heavy traffic was seen on Pune–Mumbai Expressway due to heavy rains and landslides. Incessant rains in Raigad district led to severe waterlogging on the busy Mumbai-Goa highway, bringing traffic to a standstill for a few hours and leaving thousands of commuters stranded.