Mumbai, July 7: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader, Sandeep Deshpande, on Tuesday took a sharp, sarcastic jibe at the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra and mocked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) frequent tendency to blame India’s historical issues on the country’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

“Pandit Nehru is responsible for the landslide on the Mumbai Pune Missing Link, and those who still want to criticise the government should move to Pakistan,” Deshpande wrote in his satirical post, taking a swipe at the ruling coalition’s typical rhetoric to deflect criticism.

Despande’s move to target the Mahayuti government comes after the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ editorial remarked that the political handling of the incident has followed a predictable pattern.

Whenever such structural failures occur, the ruling politicians shift accountability to nature to cover up administrative lapses.

“In the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis deflected the blame entirely onto the unprecedented weather conditions. He maintained that while the administration had completed all necessary pre-monsoon preparations, the intensity of the downpour exceeded all engineering expectations—a defensive explanation that has become standard practice,” said the editorial.

Earlier, a major political controversy erupted in Maharashtra following a landslide on the recently inaugurated ‘Missing Link’ project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Monday.

Coming just days after the project’s opening, the incident—along with reports of potholes surfacing on the stretch—has triggered intense scrutiny over the quality of construction, with Opposition parties training their guns on the Mahayuti government.

The controversy escalated after nearly 100 tonnes of debris and soil crashed onto the entry point of the Missing Link, which had been heavily promoted by the ruling alliance as an “engineering marvel.”

Opposition leaders swiftly surrounded Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, questioning the standard of work executed under the government’s watch. Opposition parties also questioned the projection of CM Fadnavis as ‘infra man’.

Responding to the allegations, CM Fadnavis defended the project, attributing the landslide to unprecedented rainfall and shifting climate patterns.

His justification, however, triggered a fresh wave of allegations and counter-allegations between the ruling and Opposition factions throughout Monday.

Following the massive landslide, traffic coming from both Mumbai and Pune directions on the Missing Link was completely suspended for the entire day on Monday. The blockade was cleared late at night.

Around 11:00 P.M, Fadnavis shared a video on social media showing the debris being removed, confirming that the stretch had been reopened for vehicles.

Addressing the incident, Fadnavis emphasised that the state machinery acted promptly. “A landslide occurred on the Mumbai-Pune route. These incidents are happening due to changing nature cycles. While the administration was fully prepared, events contrary to expectations took place,” Fadnavis stated.

He further added, “As soon as the landslide occurred on the connecting link, traffic was immediately stopped. Vehicles coming from both Mumbai and Pune sides were either halted or diverted. The state government and all relevant agencies are on high alert. Nearly 100 tonnes of debris came down on the road. Notably, this landslide occurred in an area where no such incident had ever been recorded in the past.”

Mumbai, July 7: The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday alleged that the recent spell of torrential rain across Mumbai, the Konkan region and other parts of Maharashtra has exposed the shortcomings of several flagship infrastructure projects showcased by the state government.

From pre-monsoon drain desilting in Mumbai to the state’s heavily publicised “rapid progress”, nature has completely debunked the official narrative, it said.

The Thackeray camp, in the party mouthpiece Saamana, stated that the state government had generated immense publicity around the Mumbai-Pune Expressway ‘Missing Link’ project. However, the high-tech corridor was brought to a standstill during the very first spell of heavy rain. On Monday morning, a massive crater opened up within the project area, creating an internal waterfall that effectively washed away the government’s promises of seamless, high-speed travel.

The editorial remarked, “The political handling of the incident has followed a predictable pattern. Whenever such structural failures occur, the ruling politicians shift accountability to nature to cover up administrative lapses. In the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis deflected the blame entirely onto the unprecedented weather conditions. He maintained that while the administration had completed all necessary pre-monsoon preparations, the intensity of the downpour exceeded all engineering expectations — a defensive explanation that has become standard practice.”

The editorial further said that this follows a recent controversy where several potholes appeared along the same Missing Link stretch. Instead of providing a sound technical explanation to the opposition’s criticisms, the leadership brushed it off with a bizarre assertion that the patches were part of an “engineering technique”. For such a highly anticipated flagship project, the need for damage control just months after opening raises serious concerns.

The Thackeray camp claimed that the Missing Link is not an isolated incident. The standard of several other landmark infrastructure projects across the state has come under fire. The Samruddhi Mahamarg, once aggressively promoted as a world-class highway, was torn apart during its first monsoon. Potholes and cracks have now become a permanent fixture. The situation deteriorated to a point where the government had to deploy a dedicated 24-hour special task force to patch up recurring cracks, said the editorial.

According to the editorial, on Sunday, severe roof leakages were reported across two functional metro lines, forcing authorities to place plastic buckets on platforms to collect rainwater. This mirrors last year’s monsoon, where rainwater cascaded like waterfalls inside under-construction and operational underground stations, leaving commuters navigating through accumulated silt. The standard pre-monsoon works and drain-cleaning drives in Mumbai have yielded similarly poor results. Open manholes and uprooted trees have already claimed six to seven innocent lives this season, added the editorial.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena said that supporters of Devendra Fadnavis frequently label him an ‘Inframan’, pointing toward a massive portfolio of mega-projects including the Samruddhi Mahamarg, Metro Rail network, Atal Setu, Shaktipeeth Expressway, Vadhavan Port, the ‘Fourth Mumbai’ urban plan, Navi Mumbai International Airport, and the Missing Link. However, successive monsoon seasons have acted as a reality check, deflating these claims of “world-class excellence” one by one.

“Monday’s structural breach at the Missing Link — which effectively washed away thousands of crores of public taxpayers’ money into a muddy waterfall — is the latest example,” observed the Thackeray camp.

With claims constantly getting buried in the potholes of Samruddhi or drowned in the leakages of the Missing Link, the citizens of Maharashtra are left asking a fundamental question: “How exactly is he an Inframan?” asked the editorial.

Mumbai, July 7: Maharashtra continued to reel under the impact of torrential rainfall on Tuesday, with heavy showers disrupting normal life across several districts, including Mumbai and Pune.

Authorities declared a holiday for all schools in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Haveli Taluka, while the Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) advised private offices in Mumbai to allow employees to work from home.

It also announced that non-essential government offices in the financial capital would function for only half a day in view of the prevailing weather conditions.

Several parts of Mumbai remained waterlogged following incessant rainfall over the past three days, leading to traffic congestion and disruptions in daily life. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for the region, warning of continued heavy rainfall.

Considering the adverse weather conditions, Pune District Collector and Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority, Jitendra Dudi, declared a holiday for all primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools located within the Pune Municipal Corporation, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, and Haveli Taluka.

The decision was taken to ensure the safety of students amid continuous heavy rainfall, reports of landslides in the Ghat sections, and the IMD’s weather warning. The holiday applies to Zilla Parishad schools, municipal schools, Ashramshalas (residential schools for tribal students), private aided and unaided institutions, English-medium schools, and all Anganwadi centres.

However, the administration has directed all headmasters, teachers, and non-teaching staff to report to their respective schools during regular office hours and remain available to assist the local administration in disaster management and emergency response activities.

The district administration has also appealed to residents to remain vigilant and venture outdoors only if absolutely necessary until weather conditions improve.

Meanwhile, the continuous downpour has significantly increased the water level of the Bhima River. Authorities said the river’s discharge at Daund has reached 97,700 cusecs, raising concerns about a possible flood-like situation in low-lying areas. The increase in discharge is attributed to the release of large volumes of water from upstream dams following sustained rainfall across Pune district.

In Indapur, heavy rainfall in the Western Ghats has resulted in a massive inflow into the Ujani Dam. Officials said around 1,45,561 cusecs of water is currently flowing towards the reservoir through the Bhima River, causing the river channel to flow at full capacity.

The water storage in the Ujani Dam has witnessed a notable rise over the last 48 hours, with an increase of nearly 4.25 Thousand Million Cubic (TMC). Officials stated that while the dam’s live storage level stood at minus 27.96 per cent on July 5, it has now improved to minus 20.21 per cent due to the continuous inflow of water.

At present, the reservoir holds approximately 52.83 TMC of water, marking a significant improvement in storage levels. Authorities said that if heavy rainfall continues over the Western Ghats in the coming days, the water level in the dam is expected to rise further.

Mumbai and its suburbs have also continued to experience relentless rainfall for the third consecutive day. During the past 48 hours, the city division recorded nearly 300 mm of rainfall, while the eastern suburbs received around 380 mm and the western suburbs recorded approximately 345 mm.

Accompanied by strong winds with speeds ranging between 70 and 80 kmph, the heavy rainfall prompted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to activate its entire emergency response machinery.

The BMC’s Disaster Management Department has been monitoring the situation round the clock, deploying special teams to vulnerable locations to respond promptly to incidents such as tree falls, short circuits, and partial or complete collapses of dilapidated structures.

To minimise flooding, civic authorities have pressed high-capacity dewatering pumps, suction equipment, and additional manpower into service to clear waterlogged roads and restore normalcy as quickly as possible.

The BMC has also convened a Special General Body Meeting for July 9, during which rain-related preparedness, infrastructure challenges, and emergency response measures are expected to be discussed in detail.