Monsoon batters Delhi, Mumbai; 11 feared trapped in Pune building collapse
While Surat in Gujarat was hit by heavy rains, officials said at least nine people had died in rain-related incidents in the district in the last few days. The administration shifted thousands of people from low-lying areas to safer places and distributed food packages to high-rise buildings in flooded areas of the city.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the chief ministers of Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir to take stock of the situation arising from heavy rains and assured them of all possible assistance from the Centre, officials said. The calls come in the wake of debris collapse in Kerala’s Wayanad, flash floods in Jammu’s Doda and deadly incidents and major disruptions reported from Maharashtra and Gujarat on Tuesday.
The search for five missing people was still ongoing on Wednesday after a rain-soaked mound of excavated earth collapsed at a tunnel project site in Wayanad. Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan visited the landslide-affected area and inspected the search operation.
After a brief respite, heavy rains accompanied by thunder returned to Mumbai, causing delays in local train services and inconvenience to office workers.
Long-distance train services towards Gujarat in Maharashtra were disrupted due to waterlogging in the Vasai-Virar section in neighboring Palghar district and several parts of south Gujarat. Operations on the Mumbai-Pune line are also yet to be fully restarted following landslides in the Bhor Ghat section.
Incessant downpours in the national capital have flooded many parts of the city and slowed down traffic. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued ‘red’ and ‘orange’ alerts, warning of thunderstorms and more rain.
Rivers swell; Traffic paralyzed in some parts of Maharashtra
Various parts of Maharashtra continued to grapple with monsoon rains as rivers overflowed their banks, train services were disrupted and landslides and waterlogging threatened people’s safety.
A huge pile of garbage fell on a three-storey building in Pimpri Chinchwad in Pune district, causing it to collapse. The incident took place in Moshi, where the building was used as the administrative office of a private company that processed waste at the site on behalf of the civil society. Authorities said 11 of the 23 people initially believed to be trapped were still trapped.
While the water level in Godavari has risen due to incessant rains in Nashik district, landslides and road closures have also been reported.
The district administration has appealed to people living on the banks of Godavari, Kadva and Girna rivers to shift their valuables, animals and other materials to safer places due to the release of water from various reservoirs, including Palkhed and Nandur Madhmeshwar embankments.
Train services between Neral and Karjat stations in Raigad district were suspended for about an hour as the overflowing Ulhas river caused water accumulation on the tracks, officials said.
As many as nine flights bound for Mumbai were diverted to nearby airports due to bad weather conditions and poor visibility at Mumbai International Airport, sources said. They said all the diverted flights later turned back and landed at Mumbai airport.
In Mumbai, heavy rain and thunderstorms resumed after a short break, delaying suburban train services by 25-30 minutes and causing floods in many areas.
Tulsi Lake, one of Mumbai’s seven drinking water reservoirs, started overflowing late Tuesday night following heavy rains in the catchment area, hours after nearby Vihar Lake overflowed, civic officials said. IMD has predicted intermittent light to moderate rainfall over Mumbai and its suburbs.
A flood-like situation occurred in Surat, which received 358 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours till Wednesday morning. More than 3,400 people were rescued and more than 3,800 were shifted from low-lying areas of the city, officials said.
By Wednesday, nine people, including children, had been reported dead due to electrocution, falling into trees and drowning, an official said.
Water entered many houses, commercial complexes and shops in Surat, submerging commercial establishments on the ground floor of Poddar Arcade in Varachha. Public transportation, including municipal bus services, was disrupted due to waterlogging. Videos on social media showed people wading through knee-deep water.
Rain lashes Delhi and Rajasthan; Floods in Himachal
The rain drenched the capital, flooding many parts of the city and slowing down traffic. The IMD has issued ‘red’ and ‘orange’ alerts, warning of more thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and rain in many areas.
One person died and 4 people were rescued as a result of the collapse of a 4-storey building under construction in the Rohini region due to heavy rain in the city. It is feared that 4-5 people, other than the property owner’s wife, will be trapped under the rubble.
Many areas including Sadar Bazar, Nasirpur, Greater Kailash, Badarpur, Teliwara, Mahavir Bazar, Swarup Nagar and Kushak Road were flooded.
In some places, pedestrians were seen wading through knee-deep water.
Delhi civic bodies have received at least 10 complaints regarding rain-induced waterlogging, tree falls and power outages.
Commuters faced delays on the Ring Road, Outer Ring Road and National Highway-48, especially near Dhaula Kuan, Mahipalpur and Rajokri, due to poor visibility and waterlogging.
In Gurugram, waterlogging caused large-scale disruptions as vehicles stalled at various places and traffic moved at a snail’s pace on major routes.
Traffic dragged for hours on the service lane of the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway near Narsinghpur, as well as in Basai area, Umang Bhardwaj Chowk, Kadipur, Sector-10A, Sohna road and other important roads in Gurugram.
The southwest monsoon continues to be active in Rajasthan, inundating many areas; Ramganj Mandi in Kota recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 10 cm and IMD has warned of more showers in the next two-three days.
Flash floods triggered by rains disrupted road connectivity in parts of Rampur subdivision of Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district, officials said, while moderate rains continued to affect Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday.
The rise in water level after the flood damaged the temporary bridge over the Ganvi khad stream, blocking the connecting roads to the twin panchayats of Kyao and Kut, causing serious hardship to the local people.
Videos of passengers stranded on both sides of the stream and local people trying to repair the road by removing stones were spread on social media.
Rain caused landslides in Uttarakhand and debris disrupted traffic on nearly 70 roads across the state. Officials said that efforts are continuing to clean the roads.
Many parts of the state received rain on Wednesday and an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rains was issued in many districts, including Dehradun and Haridwar, on Thursday.
In Dehradun, all government schools, government-aided and private schools and anganwadi centers will remain closed on Thursday due to rain forecast.
District magistrates have been asked to increase surveillance in sensitive areas and keep relief and rescue teams ready.
