MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting at the Disaster Control Room in Mantralaya to assess the flood and landslide situation after incessant rain battered several parts of the state, leaving at least seven people dead in rain-related incidents in Mumbai, ANI reported.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a “Red Warning” for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Pune and the Ghats of Nashik, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds of 60-70 kmph.Addressing reporters after the meeting, Fadnavis cautioned citizens about a high tide expected at 3pm and warned that heavy rainfall during the high tide period could lead to severe waterlogging.“Mumbai will have high tide from 3 pm onwards today. If it rains heavily during the time of high tide, we will experience waterlogging. Fierce winds are expected post noon, which is likely to cross 60 to 70 km per hour. People from landslide-prone areas have been evacuated. Nashik is identified as the high alert zone for tomorrow,” the chief minister said.He also confirmed that schools and colleges would remain closed.According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), six people died after a building collapsed in Mankhurd, while a 63-year-old man was killed in Kurla (West) after a tree fell on a road near Nehru Nagar, ANI reported.The civic body said it received 423 complaints related to fallen trees or branches and 29 complaints of wall or house collapses across Mumbai. In Jogeshwari, seven people were injured after a tree crashed onto a house, while two others sustained injuries in a similar incident in Worli.Heavy rainfall also disrupted transport services across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Central Railway services between Karjat and Khopoli remained suspended, while Western Railway services between Vasai and Virar were also halted.Fadnavis said Palghar and the Vasai-Virar belt were among the worst-affected areas.“Railways from Gujarat toward Mumbai are badly affected, and passengers are being diverted through the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. Raigad also has very heavy rainfall. The coastal belt, as well as Lonavala and Mahabaleshwar, will experience heavy downpour. Savitri River is overflowing,” he said.The Mumbai-Pune Highway remained partially operational with traffic moving slowly on three lanes.Meanwhile, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said restoration work at railway sections affected by landslides was being carried out on a war footing despite adverse weather conditions and difficult terrain. Railway teams have deployed heavy machinery to clear debris and restore services, ANI reported.The BMC has appealed to citizens to remain indoors unless travel is absolutely necessary, particularly during the high tide period. It also advised people to stay away from waterlogged areas and unstable structures as Mumbai braces for further spells of intense rainfall, ANI reported.(With agency inputs)
