NEW DELHI, JUL 6 (PTI): The monsoon packed a deadly punch across India on Monday, claiming lives in Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh, crippling rail and road networks, triggering landslides and flooding, inundating towns in Odisha, with the IMD forecasting more heavy rainfall over several states.
Emerging as the epicentre of the crisis, Maharashtra reported three fresh rain-related deaths in Pune and 13 fatalities over the last three to four days. In Himachal Pradesh, a 14-year-old girl died after a shooting stone hit a vehicle she was travelling in on Monday.
Odisha remained on statewide alert as incessant rain continued for the third day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Mumbai, Thane and Raigad, warning of more heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds.
The country’s financial capital came to a standstill as the city’s rail network was disrupted. Train services on the Mumbai-Pune route were suspended after multiple landslides hit the Karjat-Lonavala Bhor Ghat section.
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway was shut after a concrete pillar fell onto the carriageway, while the old Mumbai-Pune highway was also closed due to overflowing water at multiple locations.
Western Railway services on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor were also hit by waterlogging, affecting more than 40 train services. At least 10 trains were cancelled, eight rescheduled and several diverted or short-terminated. Over 20 long-distance trains remained stranded.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the situation and directed Central and Western Railway officials to expedite restoration efforts.
Authorities advised people to work from home for private offices and declare a half-day for non-essential government and semi-government establishments.
In Pune, two people died after their house was buried under debris in a landslide in Maval tehsil, while another person died after being swept away on a flooded road in Khed tehsil.
In Mumbai’s Thane, a fireman was injured while clearing a massive uprooted tree, while separate incidents of a billboard collapse and wall collapses were also reported. In neighbouring Palghar district, strong winds blew away tin-roofed sheds and uprooted trees at a residential school, though all 350 students were safe.
Some parts of Palghar district received nearly 300 mm of rainfall within just two hours, worsening flooding and transport disruption.
The IMD upgraded Mumbai’s warning from orange to red after weather conditions worsened during the day and forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall, gusty winds reaching 70-80 kmph, flooding of low-lying areas, landslides and disruption to transport and civic services.
Besides public life, the downpour also disrupted the state’s governance.
Both Houses of the Maharashtra legislature were adjourned amid the heavy rainfall. The Bombay High Court also assured lawyers that no adverse orders would be passed if they were unable to reach court because of the weather.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the unprecedented rainfall as a “force majeure” situation beyond human control and said disaster management agencies were fully mobilised.
He said that while around 800 trees usually fall during an entire monsoon season, nearly 350 trees had fallen on Sunday alone.
Himachal Pradesh also reported a rain-related fatality after a 14-year-old girl died when a shooting stone hit the vehicle she was travelling in Chamba.
Heavy overnight rain in the hill state also triggered flash floods and blocked key roads in Chamba and Kullu districts.
The Chamba-Tissa road remained blocked after a flash flood at Pangola Nala in Churah subdivision, while flooding disrupted traffic at Pagal Nala on the Larji-Sainj road in Kullu.
Authorities ordered the controlled release of around 50 cumecs of additional water from the Parbati Power Station-III reservoir into the Sainj river after reservoir levels rose due to continuous rainfall.
Mandi’s Jogindernagar recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 97 mm, followed by Kangra with 74.8 mm. The weather office forecast isolated heavy to very heavy rain over Kangra, Una and Sirmaur districts and issued an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kangra, Mandi, Shimla and Solan districts on Tuesday.
Odisha remained on statewide alert as incessant rain continued for the third straight day under the influence of a depression over the region.
Several districts, including Cuttack, Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Bargarh, closed schools and colleges as authorities reported waterlogging, damage to roads and bridges, and uprooted trees.
Orange and yellow warnings were issued by the IMD for multiple districts. Twelve places in the state recorded more than 200 mm of rainfall during the previous 24 hours.
Sonepur received the highest rainfall at 328.4 mm, while Ullunda in the same district recorded 290 mm.
Under the influence of the depression, Odisha is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall at most places, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on July 6 and 7 and heavy rainfall at isolated places on July 8, it said.
Fishermen were advised not to venture into the northwest Bay of Bengal and along the Odisha and West Bengal coasts till July 7.
In Rajasthan, isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall continued, with Shrimadhopur in Sikar district recording the highest rainfall of 75 mm during the previous 24 hours.
The weather office forecast an active monsoon over parts of eastern Rajasthan during the next five to seven days, with heavy rainfall expected in southeastern districts through July 9 and fresh spells likely over parts of western Rajasthan later this week.
Delhi witnessed a relatively cooler start to the day after overnight showers, with the minimum temperature settling at 27 degrees Celsius, below the seasonal average.
Palam recorded the highest rainfall in the national capital at 16.4 mm during the previous 24 hours.
The IMD has warned that active monsoon conditions are likely to persist over several parts of western, central and northern India over the next few days, keeping disaster response agencies on alert as authorities continue to monitor flood, landslide and transport-related risks.
Tuesday, July 7, 2026