The Mumbai-Pune Expressway looked more like a river than a highway this week after relentless downpours left long stretches of the road submerged. Videos of the flooded expressway went viral on social media, with vehicles reduced to crawling through standing water and long traffic jams building up across the route. Local authorities have urged people to avoid travelling on the expressway unless absolutely necessary, as heavy rain also overwhelmed drainage systems along the corridor, leaving commuters stuck for hours.
Landslide in Maval, rescue underway for a missing family
A landslide has been reported in the Maval area, and a family is said to be missing since the incident. Rescue teams have reached the spot and an operation is underway to trace and safely evacuate the family. The same spell of heavy rain has badly affected drainage in the region, adding to the difficulties faced by commuters and residents.
Train services hit on the Karjat-Lonavala ghat section
The rain's impact was not limited to the road. A landslide on the Karjat-Lonavala ghat section disrupted train movement on the Mumbai-Pune line, forcing several trains to be cancelled while others were diverted to alternate routes, leaving rail passengers stranded or delayed as well.
The ₹6,695 crore Missing Link project faces questions after its first monsoon
Just weeks ago, the Missing Link project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was opened to traffic on 1 May, featuring tunnels counted among the widest in the world. The project reportedly cost around ₹6,695 crore. With a landslide now reported in the very same stretch, questions are being raised about whether such a large investment could withstand its very first heavy monsoon spell.
Why does Mumbai flood every year despite the spending?
Every monsoon, Mumbai and its surrounding areas see visuals of severe waterlogging, even though crores of rupees are spent annually on the city's drainage systems. Roads and highways filling up with water year after year suggests the drainage network struggles to cope with the intensity of heavy rain. That is also why a major route like the Mumbai-Pune Expressway ends up with vehicles crawling through pooled water.
Rain wreaks havoc from Mumbai to Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh
The impact of the rain is not confined to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway alone. Heavy rainfall has caused flood-like conditions from Mumbai across Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, with waterlogged streets and landslides reported in multiple areas. Visuals and videos of flooding from several cities point to just how intense this spell of the monsoon has been.
