Mumbai is in the midst of one of its most intense monsoon spells in recent years and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for the city and parts of Maharashtra Monday warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds. The worsening weather has disrupted daily life, bringing schools to a standstill, shutting down colleges and trains, wreaking havoc on infrastructure and claiming at least 10 lives in rain-related incidents.
Due to the bad weather condition, Mumbai government has declared a holiday for government, private and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) schools and colleges. Similar closures have been held in Thane and Palghar districts, and Pune district has also ordered all schools to shut down as the IMD forecast heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.
The heavy downpour has caused severe disruption in the railway operations in Maharashtra. Train services on the crucial Mumbai-Pune railway line were suspended early Monday after several landslides occurred in the Karjat-Lonavala Bhor Ghat section. All three railways were affected by the landslides and Central Railway had to cancel, divert, regulate and reschedule some suburban and long-distance trains.
The road transport system has also been affected drastically. Mumbai-Pune Expressway had a landslide after nearly 100 tons of debris hit the road. But authorities have managed to clear around 70 tonnes of debris so that we can still move with three lanes going towards Pune and one lane going towards Mumbai. There is still restoration work going on as officials are trying to get back to normal traffic in a hurry.
The continuous rainfall has caused widespread flooding throughout Mumbai to develop and waterlogging was reported in many low-lying areas in Mumbai. Flight operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were suspended for nearly an hour yesterday due to bad weather conditions and resumed for almost an hour due to bad weather conditions, and the airport was closed for almost an hour and a half yesterday after a half hour due to which it was resumed.
The city’s monsoon misery has also turned deadly. A portion of a chawl collapsed in Mankhurd late Sunday night, killing six people, including five children, and injuring another. Tree-fall incidents have also added to the death toll. In Kurla, a 63-year-old man was killed in Kurla after a falling tree branch hit him, and under similar circumstances an 18-year-old young man died in Aarey. And on Wednesday, a schoolboy died after a tree fell on a school bus in Chembur and a 55-year-old fell into an open manhole in Sakinaka.
Mumbai has already received almost 60 per cent of its average annual rainfall in less than two weeks, an extraordinary amount that has overwhelmed the city’s drainage system and civic infrastructure, weather officials say.
The IMD has issued a red alert not only for Mumbai but also for Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and the ghat areas of Nashik, Pune and Satara. For Palghar, Raigad and Pune's ghat regions, the highest level weather warning will be in place for two days. The department also warned of possible flash floods in vulnerable areas.
A red alert is the highest category of weather warning issued by the IMD and indicates an imminent threat to life, property, transportation, and essential services.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis termed the ongoing rainfall ‘unprecedented’. He said the state is receiving rainfall almost three times the seasonal average and warned that heavy showers are likely to continue until July 8.
Fadnavis identified Palghar as one of the worst-hit districts, with heavy flooding and disruption of railway services. Waterlogging along parts of Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway due to ongoing construction work, he said, and predicted that high tide would only add to it.
The Chief Minister reminded people in the community to remain vigilant as they should avoid unnecessary trips and only go outside if absolutely necessary. The government, local authorities, the emergency services and disaster response team, civic authorities and emergency services are still on high alert and restoration work is going on in affected regions.
Hence, with more heavy rainfall forecast in the next 48 hours, officials have advised residents to monitor weather updates and official advisories as Maharashtra braces for another round of intense monsoon activity in the coming weeks.
