Monsoon mayhem: Heavy rains disrupt transport, trigger floods, landslides

The arrival of the monsoon has unleashed widespread mayhem across the country and has claimed at least 15 lives in Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, and Odisha. Incessant rains have disrupted rail, road and air services, and caused flash floods and landslides in Jammu and Kashmir, and have inundated towns in Odisha as authorities in several states stepped up emergency measures.

 

Maharashtra is bearing the brunt of the monsoon, with the state's rain-related death toll reaching 13 on Monday after four people, including three members of a family, were killed in rain-related incidents in Pune.

 

Three members of the family died in a landslide, while another person was killed in a wall collapse. Two others were swept away in separate incidents as heavy showers battered the district, prompting authorities to rescue or shift more than 500 people to safer places.

 

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane, and Raigad, warning of more heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds.

 

While Mumbai woke up to overcast skies and strong winds on Tuesday, with no significant rainfall recorded in the morning, the respite came after two days of relentless downpours that brought the city to a near standstill. Roads were submerged, trees were uprooted, and several wall and billboard collapse incidents were reported. As a precautionary measure, all government, private, and civic-run schools and colleges in the city remained shut on Tuesday.

 

Moreover, a tunnel on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway collapsed early on Monday morning after a landslide triggered by overnight heavy rains, just weeks after the expressway was inaugurated. Traffic on the Expressway's "Missing Link" bypass section resumed late on Monday after remaining suspended for nearly 18 hours.   

 

 

 

Due to waterlogging and landslides, more than 40 Western Railway services have been affected, while several trains have been cancelled, diverted or short-terminated. Five flights headed to Mumbai were also diverted because of poor weather.

 

In Himachal Pradesh, overnight rain triggered flash floods, landslides and road blockades, and killed a 14-year-old girl.

 

The IMD has issued an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rain in Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, and Solan districts on Tuesday.

 

Meanwhile, a two-year-old girl died in Odisha as the state remained on alert, with incessant rain continuing for the third straight day under the influence of a depression over the region. The IMD has warned of more heavy to very heavy rainfall in the state on Tuesday and advised fishermen against venturing into the sea.

 

Schools continue to remain shut in several districts of Odisha, including Cuttack, Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Bargarh.

 

The Doda-Kishtwar highway in Jammu and Kashmir was also damaged after heavy rains triggered flash floods, disrupted traffic, and buried several vehicles near the under-construction 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric Project in Kishtwar district.