- By Nidhi Giri
- Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:19 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A massive landslide led to the Goa-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Goa highway to remain shut for more than 12 hours, from Saturday 6 pm to Sunday morning. Mud and boulders from a hill rolled down with rain water, washing away the debris on the highway stretch at Nadgaon village, Mahad taluka, in Raigad. The traffic on the highway was regulated by 8 am on Sunday. Moreover, the Southwest monsoon has arrived early in Maharashtra, with a yellow alert issued for Mumbai, indicating that conditions are conducive for the monsoon to reach the city within the next 48 hours. This is ahead of the normal monsoon onset date of 11 June.
A queue of vehicles stretching over a few kilometres towards Mumbai was seen on the highway. Being the weekend, vehicles were heading towards Goa. Most of the people were either going to their native places or tourist spots, however, the landslide delayed their travel time.
Four wheelers, trucks, chemical tankers, two-wheelers and other vehicles were stopped all of a sudden following the landslide. Luckily, none of the motorists was hit. Locals allege that netting and bolting of the hill has not been done yet for the safety of motorists.
READ MORE: Delhi Weather Update: Heatwave To Continue, IMD Issues Yellow Alert, No Rain Forecast This Week
Highway traffic constable Mandar Lahane said, "The traffic was diverted to the Mumbai-bound carriageway from the Goa-bound carriageway. The debris was cleared on Sunday morning."
Maharashtra Monsoon: IMD Issues Red, Orange Alert For THESE Districts
IMD Issues a red alert for Sindhudurg district and orange alert For Ratnagiri, while a yellow alert covers Palghar, Thane and Raigad districts, warning of heavy rain. While the much-needed rains will benefit the agricultural sector, the rapid onset raises the spectre of flooding and other weather-related disasters in the weeks ahead.
Monsoon In Pune, Mumbai
The early arrival is part of an ongoing trend, with the monsoon reaching Mumbai and Pune two days ahead of the usual 11 June date. The Northern Limit of Monsoon now passes through Thane, Ahmednagar, Beed, Nizamabad, Sukma, Malkangiri, Vizianagaram and Islampur. Residents of these areas can expect thunderstorms, moderate to heavy rainfall, and strong winds in the coming days.
"Conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into remaining parts of central Arabian Sea, some more parts of Maharashtra (including Mumbai) and Telangana during next 2-3 days," the IMD reported on its social media platform X.