Mumbai

Rains pummeled Mumbai and its satellite towns on Monday, crippling the metropolis and triggering landslides that forced authorities to shut the vital Mumbai-Pune Expressway and suspend railway operations in 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 persons 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.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a 'red' alert for Mumbai and neighbouring Thane and Raigad districts, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds and appealed to people to avoid unnecessary travel.

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 also suspended local train services between Karjat and Khopoli in Raigad district after heavy rain 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 rain and severe waterlogging also 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.

Both houses of the state legislature were adjourned in view of the heavy showers, while the Bombay High Court assured thaqt 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 public cooperation, such emergencies could be handled more effectively.

He urged people to avoid all non-essential travel, not to visit waterfalls or tourist spots during the spell of heavy rain.

"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 that 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 pointed out.

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.

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.

"In one of the incidents, a house was buried under the debris. Three persons were inside the house when the landslide occurred in the early hours of Monday," he said.

The Pune-Mumbai Expressway was also 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 heavy 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 the concrete pillar fell on the carriageway of the Missing Link, which was opened barely two months ago, and sought action against officials concerned and the contractor.

The Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link is a 13-km bypass that cuts through the Sahyadri mountains, reducing travel distance by 6 km and shaving 25 to 30 minutes off the commute.

Congress leader Satej Patil sought details of a survey done by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on unsafe trees.

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The Pune district administration urged Warkaris and devotees to avoid entering Alandi, as the overflowing Indrayani River has submerged all four bridges leading into the temple town ahead of the upcoming palakhi procession of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj.