Heavy rains in Mumbai: Maharashtra Assembly adjourned as Govt remains on high alert
The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly was adjourned for the day following forecasts of heavy rainfall and strong winds across Mumbai and adjoining regions, with the state government placing its disaster response machinery on high alert.
Announcing the decision, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar urged legislators and the public to cooperate with the administration in tackling the rain-related emergency. He said the prevailing weather conditions required collective efforts and appealed to elected representatives to remain vigilant and assist people in their constituencies.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the House that the state government, municipal corporations and disaster management agencies were fully mobilised to deal with the evolving situation. He said recent incidents, including landslides, wall collapses and waterlogging, were the result of extreme weather conditions rather than administrative lapses.
"The entire administration is in alert mode. We are continuously reviewing the situation across Maharashtra, and any shortcomings will be addressed immediately," Fadnavis said.
Referring to the landslide that disrupted traffic on the Mumbai-Pune route, the Chief Minister said authorities immediately stopped and diverted vehicular movement to prevent further risks. Rescue teams have been deployed to clear debris, assist stranded commuters and restore normalcy. He added that a detailed statement on the rain-related incidents and the government's response would be presented in the Assembly on Tuesday.
Fadnavis also warned that wind speeds of up to 90 kmph were expected later in the day and advised people to avoid unnecessary travel. He urged citizens, particularly youngsters, to stay away from waterfalls, rivers and other tourist spots during the heavy rain spell. Highlighting the severity of the weather, he said around 350 trees had fallen on Sunday alone, compared to the seasonal average of about 800 tree falls during the entire monsoon.
Earlier, Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar demanded a high-level inquiry into rain-related deaths and accidents across Maharashtra. He alleged that inadequate pre-monsoon preparedness had contributed to several fatalities, including deaths caused by tree falls, open manholes and building collapses in Mumbai.
Wadettiwar also raised concerns over the landslide near the Missing Link project, which disrupted traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, affected the old highway and temporarily impacted rail services. He urged the government to fix accountability, take action against officials found negligent and keep the public informed about relief and preventive measures.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Mumbai and surrounding districts, warning of extremely heavy rainfall, strong winds and possible flooding. Authorities have advised residents to remain indoors unless necessary and follow official advisories until weather conditions improve.
