All government, private and civic-run schools and colleges in Mumbai will remain closed on Tuesday after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall and gusty winds
in the metropolis, prompting authorities to take precautionary measures amid continuing monsoon disruptions.
In a release issued late Monday night, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said the holiday for educational institutions had been declared to ensure the safety of students in view of the weather forecast.
The civic body also appealed to citizens to venture outdoors only if necessary and asked them to contact its emergency helpline, 1916, in case of any untoward incident.
It further urged residents to strictly follow all advisories issued by the administration.
The closure comes a day after relentless monsoon showers battered Mumbai and several parts of Maharashtra, severely disrupting road, rail and air transport while affecting normal life across the region.
Schools and colleges across Mumbai had also remained shut on Monday after the IMD issued a red alert for heavy rainfall.
The Maharashtra government had additionally advised private establishments to allow employees to work from home wherever possible and declared a half-day for employees of non-essential government and semi-government offices.
The BMC’s monsoon report had stated that between 8 am and 6 pm on Monday, Mumbai city received an average rainfall of 28.2 mm, while the eastern and western suburbs recorded 61.75 mm and 65.45 mm.
Heavy rainfall also triggered landslides and widespread flooding across the Mumbai-Pune region, disrupting key transport corridors.
Traffic on the Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway’s ‘Missing Link’ bypass section, which had remained shut for more than 18 hours following a landslide near Tunnel 2, resumed at 10.10 pm on Monday after detailed safety inspections were completed.
An official of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) said two left-side lanes on the Pune-to-Mumbai corridor had been reopened, while one lane remained blocked because water continued flowing onto the road after a mountain water channel collapsed.
The landslide damaged part of the protective structure built above the tunnel to channel rainwater, although officials said the tunnel itself remained structurally safe.
Engineers carried out extensive inspections of the slope before restoring vehicular movement, while adverse weather conditions delayed reopening.
MSRDC also said debris had been cleared and technical experts had declared the area safe before traffic resumed.
The Chief Minister’s Office also announced on social media that vehicular movement on the Connecting Link had been restored.
MONSOON FURY ACROSS MAHARASHTRA
Monday’s heavy rainfall also claimed lives and triggered rescue operations in other parts of Maharashtra.
According to news agency PTI, three members of a family were killed after a landslide buried their home in Pune district’s Maval area.
Nearly 300 people were either rescued or shifted to safer places as heavy rains lashed the district.
The downpour also affected railway services on the Mumbai-Pune route after landslides struck the Karjat-Lonavala Bhor Ghat section. Local train services between Karjat and Khopoli were suspended after heavy rain washed away the ballast supporting railway tracks.
Western Railway services were also severely affected due to waterlogging and landslides, with more than 40 train services impacted, including cancellations, diversions and rescheduling.
Air traffic was also disrupted, with five incoming flights to Mumbai diverted to other airports because of adverse weather conditions.
Maharashtra Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan had said on Monday that 13 people had lost their lives in rain-related incidents over the previous three to four days and noted that heavy rainfall alerts remained in force.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had described the extreme rainfall as a “force majeure” situation while assuring that the state’s disaster management machinery, municipal corporations and other agencies remained on alert to deal with the evolving situation, according to PTI.
