Landslide causes hour-long traffic snarls on Mumbai-Pune expressway

Landslide caused by heavy rains blocked the busy Mumbai-Pune Express Highway on Monday, following which the traffic was diverted via the old highway route.

There was no casualty due to the landslide and work to clear the debris is on, officials said.

Heavy rains lashed Pune and Western Maharashtra on Sunday night with the revival of the monsoon activity. The downpour disrupted the long-distance Mumbai-bound trains.

The MeT department recorded 34.5 mm rainfall in the city and suburbs as it poured the entire day till 8.30 pm on Sunday night, uprooting trees in different parts and causing traffic disruption.

Unlike Konkan, Vidarbha and parts of Marathwada, the Western Maharashtra had a late onset of the monsoon. Widespread rains had been reported from Kolhapur, Satara and Sangli districts of the region.

The catchment areas of four city dams -- Varasgaon, Panshet, Pavna and Khadakwasla --- registered good rainfall, the weather office said.

Monsoon activity is expected to be vigorous in the next two days, it added.

Six long-distance trains plying between Pune and Mumbai were cancelled on Sunday while some others were rescheduled. Central Railway officials said the train traffic was expected to normalise in the next 48 hours.

Image: National Disaster Response Force troops soon arrived at the spot and helped in clearing the roads. Photograph: ANI/Twitter