MUMBAI: Three people died in rain-related incidents as relentless showers across the Mumbai-Pune region significantly disrupted transport networks, including the expressway between the two key cities and train services, and crippled normal life on Monday.
Roads resembled rivers, trees crashed, the newly opened 'Missing Link' section of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway failed its first monsoon test as the metropolis and its adjoining areas faced full force of a rain onslaught.
Rains triggered landslides that forced authorities to shut the vital Mumbai-Pune Expressway and suspend Railway operations on some sections.
Two persons were killed after their house was buried in a landslide at Patan village in Maval tehsil of Pune district. Another person died after being swept away on a flooded road in Pune's Khed tehsil, officials said.
Maharashtra Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan said 13 people have died in the last three to four days in rain-related incidents. A 'red' alert for heavy rains has been sounded for the next two days, he added.
A fireman was injured while clearing a massive uprooted tree, and, in separate incidents, a large billboard and two walls collapsed in Thane city, officials said.
In neighbouring Palghar, strong winds blew away the tin-roofed sheds and uprooted trees in a residential school, they said, adding that all 350 students at the establishment were safe.
Train services on the busy Mumbai-Pune route were suspended early Monday after heavy rains triggered landslides in the Karjat-Lonavala Bhor Ghat section, officials said.
The Central Railway suspended local train services between Karjat and Khopoli in Raigad district after heavy rains washed away the ballast (gravel bed supporting the tracks) between Lowjee and Dolavli stations, they said.
Some parts of Palghar district recorded nearly 300 mm of rainfall in just two hours, worsening the situation by 9 am.
Heavy rains and severe waterlogging paralysed Western Railway (WR) operations, leaving more than 20 long-distance trains stranded across various stations in Mumbai and south Gujarat, as per officials.
More than 40 services were impacted, with at least eight trains rescheduled, 10 cancelled, and several others diverted or short-terminated due to heavy rain, waterlogging and a landslide, a WR spokesperson said.
Five flights arriving at the Mumbai airport were diverted to other facilities till 3:30pm on Monday due to bad weather in the metropolis, officials said.
In a statement, the Mumbai International Airport said IndiGo flights 6E 595 (Raipur - Mumbai) and 6E 1340 (Singapore - Mumbai) were diverted to Hyderabad, while Akasa Air QP 1110 (Delhi - Mumbai) was diverted to Ahmedabad.
Air India's AI 2772 ( Kolkata - Mumbai) and Oman Air's WY 203 (Muscat - Mumbai) were diverted to Bengaluru and Vadodara airports, respectively, the private airport operator said in the statement.Mumbai and its adjoining areas have been witnessing very heavy rains since the past few days, throwing normal life out of gear.
Both houses of the state legislature were adjourned in view of heavy showers, while the Bombay High Court assured that no adverse orders would be passed if lawyers were unable to reach the court.
Before the adjournment, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in the assembly that extreme rainfall was a "force majeure" situation beyond human control, but with people's cooperation, such emergencies could be handled more effectively.
"The entire disaster management machinery, municipal corporations and other agencies are on the ground. We are in alert mode," he added.
The recent incidents reflected the impact of extreme weather conditions and not a lack of preparedness, he said, adding a detailed statement would be made in the House on Tuesday.
On average, 800 trees fall during the monsoon, but on Sunday alone, 350 trees fell, the CM said.
Traffic movement was less on roads as a holiday was declared for schools, and many people opted to work from home.
In Pune, three landslides occurred in the remote Patan village following heavy rainfall, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Lonavala division) Gajanan Tompe said.
The Pune-Mumbai Expressway was closed between the 'Connecting Link' and 'Missing Link' sections after a concrete pillar fell on the carriageway. The old Pune-Mumbai highway was also shut due to overflowing water at multiple locations, they said.
Opposition legislators staged a protest on the Vidhan Bhavan steps in Mumbai, raising slogans that "Inframan" had gone missing and accusing the Maharashtra government of failing to protect people amid heavy rains.
They said the downpour over the past few days exposed "crumbling infrastructure" across Mumbai and other parts of the state.
Before the legislative council was adjourned, Opposition members in the House targeted the government over monsoon-related deaths in Mumbai and sought a detailed explanation.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danve demanded accountability after a concrete pillar fell on the carriageway of the Missing Link, which was opened two months ago.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal alleged that the 12 rain-related deaths reported in the Mumbai region were the result of “administrative failure” and a “man-made disaster”, not a natural calamity.
Talking to reporters, Sapkal labelled Fadnavis a "disaster man" rather than an "infra man", accusing the BJP-led Mahayuti government of being unprepared for the monsoon.
He criticised the Rs 7,181-crore "Missing Link", alleging the project was marred by corruption and structural deficiencies.
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link is a 13-km bypass that cuts through the Sahyadri mountains, reducing travel distance by 6 km.