Maharashtra rain fury: 200 stranded, 5 missing in Nanded; Mumbai hit by waterlogging, traffic jams and flight delays

PTC Web Desk:  Incessant rains battered Maharashtra on Monday, leaving more than 200 villagers stranded in Nanded district and prompting the state government to call in the Army for rescue operations. Officials confirmed that five persons are missing in Mukhed Taluka, 600 km from Mumbai.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said rising water levels in the Lendi Dam – an inter-state irrigation project between Maharashtra and Telangana – had worsened the situation as inflows surged from Latur, Udgir, and parts of Karnataka. District collectors of Nanded, Latur and Bidar have been asked to coordinate rescue measures.

“One NDRF team, a military unit, and police teams are on the ground, while another Army unit has been dispatched from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar,” Fadnavis said, adding that the local administrations must stay present in flood-hit areas. Nanded collector Rahul Kardile said Army assistance was sought to rescue stranded villagers. The SDRF rescued 21 persons from Ravangaon and Hasnal villages on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Mumbai reeled under extremely heavy rainfall, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared a holiday for schools and colleges operating in the second shift. Civic officials said Mumbai received 177 mm of rain in just six to eight hours.

Heavy downpours led to severe waterlogging, traffic snarls, and flight disruptions. At the city’s airport, nine flights had to conduct go-arounds before landing, while one was diverted to Surat by noon. Airlines, including IndiGo and Akasa Air, issued advisories urging passengers to allow extra travel time due to congestion on airport routes.

Local trains, though running, were delayed by around 10 minutes. Waterlogging on tracks along the Harbour Line and technical glitches near Kurla-Tilak Nagar added to commuters’ woes. Traffic police reported waterlogging at Andheri subway, Vakola bridge, Khar subway, and Hyatt Junction, forcing diversions via Thackeray and Gokhale bridges.

Police Commissioner Deven Bharti appealed to Mumbaikars to avoid unnecessary travel. “Incidents of waterlogging and low visibility have been reported across several areas. Please step out only if necessary,” he posted on X.