MUMBAI: With heavy rain lashing Mumbai and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) on Monday advised private companies to allow employees to work from home wherever possible and announced a half-day for government and semi-government offices, excluding essential services.The IMD has forecast extremely heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds of 80-90 kmph across Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts.In an advisory posted on X, the SDMA urged private establishments to adopt work-from-home arrangements wherever feasible. Employees of government and semi-government offices not engaged in essential services have been granted a half-day after noon.Authorities also appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stay indoors unless absolutely necessary and follow official advisories as heavy rain continued to disrupt normal life across Mumbai and neighbouring areas.Maharashtra Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan urged people to remain indoors and avoid travel unless essential, saying the weather posed a serious risk to life and property.“People should not venture out today. Please do not go out for tourism. We will soon announce the closure of offices, schools and colleges,” Mahajan told reporters at the Vidhan Bhavan.Responding to the Opposition’s criticism following a landslide at the Mumbai-Pune Expressway’s Missing Link project, the minister appealed against politicising the situation.“We can do politics after two days. Right now, everyone should support the government,” he said.Mahajan said wind speeds, which reached 50-60 kmph on Sunday, were expected to increase to 70-90 kmph on Monday, raising the risk of falling trees and damage to vehicles and infrastructure.“Trees have fallen in several parts of Mumbai and vehicles have been damaged. There is also a threat to life in such conditions. Do not step out without a compelling reason,” he said, warning that police could take strict action if people ignored safety restrictions.The minister added that it would take another three to four days of sustained rainfall to significantly improve water levels in reservoirs across Maharashtra, although the government remained optimistic about good rainfall in the catchment areas. He also noted that increasingly intense rainfall and strong winds in recent years have posed growing challenges for Mumbai.
