Surat authorities have declared a holiday for all schools in the city on Tuesday following a forecast of heavy rainfall by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The closure applies to all primary, secondary and higher secondary schools under the Surat Municipal Corporation as well as other municipal bodies in the city. The decision was taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students amid the adverse weather conditions.

In rural parts of the district, school principals and headmasters have been authorised to take a call on whether to suspend classes after assessing local weather conditions and the ground situation in their respective areas.

Continuous torrential rainfall has thrown life completely out of gear across Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and the wider Konkan region. Severe waterlogging has been reported from multiple areas, with rainwater inundating streets and entering residential spaces.

The ongoing monsoon fury has triggered several rain-related mishaps across the state, claiming at least 9 lives and leaving 4 others injured so far. According to government official reports, 8 casualties were caused by wall collapse incidents, while 1 person died due to a tree falling.

Of the wall collapse fatalities, 6 were recorded in the Mumbai suburbs, 1 in Pune, and 1 in Thane. Additionally, 1 death was registered in the Mumbai suburbs due to a fallen tree.

The heavy downpour, which has been pounding the region for the last three to four days, has severely disrupted daily commutes as several roads have turned into overflowing rivers.

(IANS)

Multiple landslides were triggered in the Karjat-Lonavala Ghat section on the Mumbai-Pune line after it received a whopping 600 millimetres of rainfall in a 24-hour period, severely disrupting rail traffic, Central Railway officials said on Monday.

The Ghat section had also received around 300 mm of rainfall the previous day, CR Chief Public Relations Officer Swapnil Nila said.

"About 160 mm of rain fell in the first four hours on Sunday, leading to landslides at multiple vulnerable locations. The first landslide occurred near Thakurwadi, impacting all three lines in Bhor Ghat, followed by another between Monkey Hill and Khandala," he pointed out.

A tree also fell on the down main line near Khandala station later in the day, he said.

"Tracks have suffered extensive damage at some locations but prompt restoration work has been undertaken despite incessant rain in the Ghat section since early morning," Nila said.

However, CR officials have not given any time limit by when rail operations on the vital stretch connecting Mumbai and Pune, two of Maharashtra's biggest cities, will begin.

(PTI)

In light of the ongoing torrential rains across the state, Maharashtra's Minister for Women and Child Development (WCD), Aditi Tatkare, on Monday reviewed the flood situation in Raigad, Ratnagiri, and other affected districts.

The review was conducted at the State Emergency Operations Centre in the Mantralaya, alongside State Disaster Management Director, Bhalchandra Chavan.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a 'Red Alert' predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall for Raigad and Ratnagiri districts today and tomorrow.

Highlighting that the next 48 hours are highly critical for both coastal districts, Minister Tatkare stated that the local administration has been strictly instructed to implement all necessary precautionary measures immediately.

To tackle potential rain-related emergencies, a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been stationed in Mahad and kept ready. Furthermore, to ensure a swift and effective response in the Sudhagad and Roha regions, the minister said a formal request has been made to deploy an additional contingent of 145 rescue personnel.

(PTI)