Key Points
- Monsoon arrived in Maharashtra 15 days early, causing record-breaking rainfall and widespread flooding.
- At least 34 people have died statewide due to lightning, drowning, wall/tree collapses, and floods since May 19.
- Mumbai recorded its wettest May in over a century, with severe waterlogging and traffic disruptions.
- Over 35,000 hectares of crops and orchards destroyed, with major losses in Jalgaon, Solapur, Nashik, and Marathwada.
- Multiple tragic incidents, including the drowning of a woman and two children in Nanded, highlight the human toll.
Mumbai: The southwest monsoon swept into Maharashtra a full two weeks ahead of schedule, making landfall in Sindhudurg on May 25 and reaching Mumbai by May 26 the earliest recorded onset for the city in over 70 years. This premature arrival unleashed torrential downpours across the state, triggering widespread flooding, infrastructure breakdowns, and a mounting death toll.
Death Toll Rises Amid Lightning, Floods, and Collapses
Since May 19, at least 34 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Maharashtra, according to official disaster management data. Fatalities have been reported from Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, Wardha, Pune, Jalna, Mumbai, Raigad, Ahilyanagar, and Nanded. The causes include:
- Lightning strikes: Multiple deaths in Latur, Karjat, and other districts.
- Drowning: Victims in Nanded, Jalna, and Ambernath, including a tragic case where a mother, her daughter, and niece were swept away while returning from farm work in Nanded’s Hadgaon tehsil.
- Wall and tree collapses: Several fatalities in Pune, Mumbai, and surrounding areas.
- Floodwaters: Villages and farmlands inundated, leading to additional deaths and missing persons.
Emergency teams have rescued dozens trapped by rising waters, but the scale of the disaster continues to grow as rains persist.
Mumbai: Historic Rainfall and Urban Chaos
Mumbai shattered a 107-year rainfall record for May, with the Colaba observatory logging 295 mm so far surpassing the 1918 record. The city’s earliest-ever monsoon onset brought “very heavy” rain, submerging roads, railway tracks, and low-lying neighborhoods. Local train services were halted, traffic snarled, and the civic body fined pumping station operators for failing to activate flood pumps.
Despite a slight reduction in rainfall intensity by Wednesday, many areas remained waterlogged, and the IMD maintained a red alert for further heavy showers.
Rural Havoc: Crops Destroyed, Farmers Devastated
The agricultural heartland of Maharashtra has been hit hard. Over 35,000 hectares of standing crops, vegetables, and orchards have been damaged or destroyed, with the worst losses in Jalgaon, Solapur, Nashik, and Marathwada. In Solapur alone, 1,248 hectares of horticultural crops across 128 villages were submerged, while Jalgaon district reported severe damage to banana, papaya, and maize crops.
Farmers, many of whom invested lakhs in their plantations, have seen their livelihoods washed away. “I have never before seen rain in our area in May. The plantations did not survive,” said a papaya grower from Solapur, echoing the distress of thousands.
Nanded Tragedy: Family Swept Away
In a heart-wrenching incident in Nanded’s Warvat village, a woman and her two young relatives drowned after being caught in a sudden flash flood while crossing a swollen stream. Their bodies were found kilometers downstream, casting a pall of grief over the village.
Flood Threats and Ongoing Alerts
Flood-like conditions persist in dozens of villages, especially in Jalna, where unseasonal rains have continued for nearly three weeks. Rivers in Ratnagiri, including Jagbudi, Vashishti, and Kajli, are running high, raising fears of further inundation.
The IMD has warned of continued rainfall, with several districts under flash flood risk and more showers forecast for the coming days.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed immediate compensation for the families of the deceased and for crop damages. Relief and rescue operations are ongoing, with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deploying multiple teams across the most affected districts.
As Maharashtra grapples with the aftermath of this unprecedented monsoon onset, the focus remains on relief, rehabilitation, and urgent support for the state’s battered rural and urban communities.
