Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) railway station in Kurla experienced waterlogging on Saturday (July 4, 2026). Meanwhile, rains continued to lash Mumbai, Thane and Pune on Sunday (July 5, 2026) morning.  

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that there is no immediate relief from the rain. It placed Mumbai and Thane under red alert and the Konkan region and Pune under orange alert in its notification at 7 p.m. on July 4, 2026.

Konkan region and Pune district’s ghat areas are expected to experience very heavy and persistent rainfall, with a risk of minor landslides, while Pune is under a Yellow alert.

Monsoon tracker July 5 LIVE

The State Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan has urged citizens not to step out of house if not urgent. He said that the rescue teams have been deployed to aid the public affected by heavy rains, and the traffic is being cleared off the roads.

“More than 200mm of rain has occurred in 12 hours, which is very heavy rain – I mean, for Mumbai, it is very heavy rain. I would request all tourists and those going out for sightseeing. NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed. Our teams are stationed near manholes. Traffic is being cleared. People are going out, sitting near the high tide. Most accidents happen because of selfies. Places with tourism witness high casualties. Only step out of the house if there is urgent work,” 

There have been multiple incidents of accidents and injuries owing to the rains.

The intense monsoon showers had already triggered widespread civic chaos and traffic disruptions across the city, along with a tragic casualty in the suburbs. The earlier spell of heavy rain caused multiple trees to fall across the western suburbs, blocking several key roads. The rain has also had a tragic cost this monsoon season. An 11-year-old student died, and several others were hurt when a tree fell on a school bus in Chembur during an earlier spell of heavy rain and strong winds. Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde also urged citizens loitering along the seafront in the Worli area, who were ignoring the instructions and warnings issued by the Corporation and the police, to leave the area, as they were spotted wandering by the seaside and sitting on parapets here and there.

The Railway Ministry on Saturday (July 5, 2026) postponed the formal launch of tunnel-boring work for the bullet train project in Mumbai due to inclement weather and told authorities to commence the work immediately.

Ministry officials said it has been raining in Mumbai for the past few days, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued ‘red’ and ‘orange’ alerts for the next couple of days.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train: Tunnel breakthrough achieved in Palghar district; 3rd in 5 months

“Considering the adverse weather conditions, we have decided to postpone the formal launch by the Hon’ble Railway Minister of the underground tunnel boring work using tunnel boring machines for the first time on the bullet train project,” a senior official said.

“However, we have asked the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) to start the work immediately without the official launch so that the project is not delayed,” the official added.

The underground tunnel-boring work, being done by Afcons Infrastructure Limited, will now start the TBM operation for the timely completion and launch of the bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, NHSRCL officials said.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was scheduled to inaugurate the underground tunnel-boring work from Vikhroli to the Bandra Kurla Complex station in Mumbai on Sunday (July 5, 2026), marking the maiden use of a tunnel boring machine for the country’s first bullet train project, between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Imported via sea route from China in March 2026, the two customised German-made tunnel-boring machines (TBMs) are owned by Afcons Infrastructure Limited, which is constructing a 20.37-km tunnel, including a 7-km undersea stretch. The tunnel will be built at a depth of around 65 metres below ground level.

Officials said the first TBM will begin tunnelling from Vikhroli towards the BKC station, covering a distance of approximately 5.8 km.

The second TBM is currently being assembled at Sawli and is expected to be ready within a week. It will excavate the 9.7-km stretch from Sawli to Vikhroli, including the 7-km undersea section.

Each TBM is expected to excavate around 300 metres of tunnel every month. Once both machines become operational, around 600 metres of tunnelling will be completed every month.

Explaining the project, officials said the 20.37-km tunnel stretches from the BKC station to Shilphata.

“Of the total length, 15.4 km between BKC and Sawli will be excavated using TBMs. The remaining 4.8-km stretch from Sawli to Shilphata has already been completed using the drill-and-blast method,” they said.

The tunnel will be a single-tube pathway which will accommodate twin tracks for bi-directional traffic.

Two shafts at Vikhroli and Sawli, at approximate depths of 56 and 39 metres, will facilitate the construction. Thirty-nine equipment rooms at 37 locations will also be constructed adjoining the tunnel as part of the package.

These TBMs are among the largest and most expensive heavy machinery to be deployed in India.

Each has a cutter-head diameter of 13.6 metres, making them among the biggest tunnel boring machines used in any railway project nationwide.

By comparison, TBMs used for urban metro rail systems typically have cutter-head diameters of 5 to 6 metres.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, India’s first bullet train project, spans 508 km and aims to provide high-speed connectivity between Maharashtra and Gujarat.