NEW DELHI: Heavy monsoon rains continued to batter large parts of the country on Wednesday, triggering landslides, building collapses, road cave-ins, flash floods and widespread disruption to road and rail transport.The day saw multiple rain-related emergencies unfold across states.In Maharashtra’s Pimpri Chinchwad, 16 people were feared trapped after a massive garbage mound collapsed onto a building.In Delhi, a four-storey building caved in amid heavy rain, while in Haryana, a section of the Delhi-Jaipur highway collapsed, bringing traffic to a standstill.Rescue operations also continued in Kerala’s Wayanad, where five workers remained missing after a landslide at a tunnel construction site.Amid the worsening weather, Union home minister Amit Shah spoke to the chief ministers of Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir to review the situation and assured them of all possible assistance from the Centre, news agency PTI reported.
Maharashtra: Garbage mound collapse, rail disruptions and overflowing reservoirs
In Pimpri Chinchwad, a massive garbage mound collapsed onto a three-storey building housing the administrative office of a private waste-processing company, with 16 people feared trapped beneath the debris.Heavy rainfall also disrupted transport across Maharashtra.Train services between Neral and Karjat were briefly suspended after the overflowing Ulhas river submerged railway tracks, while Mumbai’s suburban railway network ran 25-30 minutes behind schedule due to waterlogging.Long-distance trains to Gujarat continued to face disruptions because of flooding in the Vasai-Virar section and parts of south Gujarat. Services on the Mumbai-Pune route also remained affected following recent landslides in the Bhor Ghat section.In Nashik, rising water levels in the Godavari prompted authorities to advise residents living along the Godavari, Kadva and Girna rivers to shift valuables and livestock to safer places as water was released from reservoirs.Mumbai’s Tulsi Lake overflowed late Tuesday night, becoming the second of the city’s seven drinking water reservoirs to overflow this monsoon after Vihar Lake.The monsoon also dominated proceedings in the Maharashtra Assembly, where the opposition demanded a discussion on rain preparedness. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray questioned the government’s “act of God” explanation, asking whether environmental degradation such as mangrove destruction would also be dismissed the same way.
Mumbai-Pune Expressway: Missing Link faces first monsoon setback
The Rs 6,695-crore Missing Link project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway came under scrutiny after a monsoon-triggered landslide near Adoshi in Raigad district brought traffic to a standstill for nearly 18 hours.The landslide blocked one carriageway, forcing authorities to divert vehicles through the old ghat section. Thousands of commuters remained stranded overnight as long queues of vehicles stretched for several kilometres before traffic was gradually restored after debris was cleared.The disruption raised questions over the resilience of the flagship infrastructure project, with critics pointing out that the expressway’s ambitious Missing Link corridor struggled through its very first monsoon despite being designed to ensure smoother, all-weather connectivity.
Building collapse, flooded roads worsen Delhi’s rain chaos
A four-storey building collapsed in Rohini Sector 16 on Wednesday evening following heavy rainfall, killing one. The incident triggered a major rescue operation.Police, fire services and disaster response teams rushed to the spot as several people were feared trapped beneath the rubble. Rescue operations were underway till the filing of this report.Heavy rain inundated several parts of the national capital, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue red and orange alerts warning of thunderstorms and more intense rainfall.Areas including Sadar Bazar, Nasirpur, Greater Kailash, Badarpur, Teliwara, Mahavir Bazar, Swarup Nagar and Kushak Road witnessed severe waterlogging, while traffic crawled on Rohtak Road, Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, NH-48 and the ITO intersection.
Gurgaon: NH-48 cave-in cripples Delhi-Jaipur traffic
Heavy rain exposed infrastructure vulnerabilities in Gurgaon after a portion of the Delhi-Jaipur carriageway on NH-48 caved in near Narsinghpur, forcing the closure of two lanes and triggering traffic snarls stretching nearly 8-10 kilometres.The cave-in occurred at a location where pipe culvert pushing work was underway. Authorities diverted traffic through the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and the Dwarka Expressway, while Delhi Police also issued an advisory urging commuters to avoid the affected stretch and plan for longer travel times.The city recorded around 82 mm of rainfall, leading to widespread waterlogging, road cave-ins and severe congestion across several arterial roads and key intersections.
Wayanad rescue enters another day
Rescue operations continued in Kerala’s Wayanad after a rain-triggered landslide at a tunnel construction site buried workers under a mound of excavated earth.Five workers remained missing as teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Rescue Services, police and local volunteers continued search operations despite persistent rain and challenging terrain.The death toll in the incident increased after one worker’s body was recovered. Opposition parties alleged safety lapses at the construction site and demanded accountability, while authorities said rescue efforts would continue until all those missing were traced.
Rajasthan, Himachal also affected
In Rajasthan, torrential rain flooded roads and residential colonies in Alwar, with the IMD forecasting widespread rainfall across the state over the next two to three days.In Himachal Pradesh, flash floods damaged a temporary bridge over the Ganvi Khad stream in Shimla district’s Rampur subdivision, snapping road connectivity to Kyao and Kut panchayats.
Centre reviews rain situation
With heavy rainfall continuing across several states, the Centre said it was closely monitoring the evolving weather situation.Union home minister Amit Shah reviewed the situation with the chief ministers of Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir, assuring them of all possible assistance for rescue, relief and restoration efforts.(With agency inputs)
