Heavy rainfall continued to lash Maharashtra on Monday, prompting the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to ask private establishments in Mumbai to permit employees to work from home wherever feasible. The authority also instructed non-essential government offices to operate only for half a day as a red alert remained in force across parts of the state.
The SDMA further stated, “A Red/Orange alert has been issued for some districts in the Konkan/coastal areas during 6-7 July. Avoid unnecessary travel, roads under water, waterfalls, and ghat sections. Call on Helplines 112, 1070, and1077 in case of emergency.”
The Bombay High Court Registrar General also issued an office order, stating, “ As directed by the Acting Chief Justice, all Ministerial officers and staff of the High Court who live in distant areas and are unable to attend office today due to heavy rains will not be marked absent.”
Persistent torrential rain has disrupted normal life across Maharashtra, inundating several localities and creating flood-like conditions in multiple districts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has placed several cities, including Mumbai, under a ‘Red Alert’ for Monday, while an ‘Orange Alert’ remains in effect for other regions.
The continuing spell of rain has heightened fears of flooding in Raigad, Chiplun and Ratnagiri. Travel between Mumbai and Pune has come to a standstill after a major landslide struck the newly built ‘Missing Link’ corridor, a project intended to ease travel between the two cities, leaving the route completely blocked for vehicular movement.
Mumbai’s suburban railway system has also borne the brunt of the relentless weather. Heavy showers, coupled with strong winds, have significantly affected local train operations, causing major inconvenience to office-goers and thousands of daily commuters across the city.
The state, including Mumbai, has witnessed uninterrupted heavy rainfall over the past two to three days. While the onset of the monsoon initially offered respite from intense summer heat, the prolonged downpour has now created widespread disruption, with reports of severe waterlogging, uprooted trees and landslides emerging from several parts of Maharashtra.
Another intense spell of rain on Monday morning triggered landslides along the Mumbai-Pune Highway as well as on key railway tracks, bringing transport services to a complete halt. Several trains running between Mumbai and Pune have been cancelled, while others have been diverted through alternate routes.
Commuters faced additional difficulties after train services between Karjat and Khopoli were temporarily suspended, leaving many passengers stranded.
Relentless rain and powerful water currents washed away the ballast, or stone bedding, beneath the railway tracks on the Karjat-Khopoli section. Railway staff detected the damage in time and immediately alerted senior officials, following which services on the route were suspended as a safety precaution.
Official sources said railway authorities have deployed workers and heavy equipment to the affected site on a war footing to restore the damaged tracks. Train operations will resume only after the section is certified safe.
The ongoing monsoon has also severely impacted Mumbai's suburban rail network. With rail connectivity between Mumbai and Pune completely disrupted, local train services on both the Up and Down lines are operating with delays of at least 15 minutes.
Large crowds of stranded passengers have gathered at Central Railway's Kalyan station as delays and sudden changes to train schedules created confusion and frustration among commuters, resulting in long queues at inquiry counters. On the Western line, waterlogging between Vasai Road and Virar stations has delayed suburban services by 15 to 20 minutes. Railway authorities have advised passengers to plan their journeys accordingly and allow extra travel time before leaving home.
In another setback for travellers, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has suspended its Mumbai-Pune ST bus services. Senior officials of the state transport undertaking have directed that all operations remain halted until further notice. With both rail services and state-run buses between Mumbai and Pune suspended, lakhs of commuters travelling between the two cities are facing severe hardship.
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