600 mm rain in Lonavala in 24 hours sparked multiple landslides in Pune, hit rail traffic

Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) A whopping 600 mm of rainfall in just 24 hours triggered multiple landslides in the Karjat-Lonavala Ghat section on the Mumbai-Pune line, severely disrupting rail traffic over the last two days, officials said. Lonavala, a popular hill station located in Pune district, recorded 670 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 7 am on Monday, as per official data. Pune district witnessed landslides at 22 places over the last two days, according to officials. The ghat section had also received around 300 mm of rainfall on Sunday, Central Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer Swapnil Nila said on Monday. "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," Nila said. The Central Railway had deployed stationary watchmen at all vulnerable locations in the ghat section in view of the heavy rainfall, and their timely alerts ensured no train was hit by landslides and no passenger was injured, he added. At the time of the incidents, the Daund-Gwalior Express was halted near Khandala, while the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Bengaluru Express was stopped near Thakurwadi. Both trains were safely taken back to Lonavala and Karjat stations at around 6.15 am on Monday, the CPRO said. The disruptions severely affected train operations. According to Central Railway, 27 trains, including four suburban services between Palasdari and Lonavala, were cancelled, 57 were diverted, 19 were short-terminated, 15 short-originated and four rescheduled till late Monday evening. Railway authorities have deployed 200 labourers in the ghat section for restoration work and are mobilising another 200 workers to expedite the operations, officials said. Train services between Karjat and Khopoli in Raigad district partially resumed on Monday evening after remaining suspended for nearly 12 hours due to a ballast washout caused by heavy rain between Lowjee and Dolavli stations, officials said. The Karjat-Khopoli section is part of Mumbai's suburban rail network and is used by thousands of commuters every day to travel to the metropolis for work. PTI KK SPK BNM GK