Monsoon Rain ImpactRelentless monsoon rain continued to batter Pune district on Monday, with the Lonavala ghat section recording 670mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, triggering landslides, disrupting road and rail connectivity with Mumbai, and forcing authorities to declare a holiday for all schools across the district.The Pune district administration also appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary travel. (Mahendra Kolhe/ HT Photo)Rainfall DataAccording to the latest rainfall data, the Lonavala met office recorded the highest rainfall at 670mm during the 24-hour period ending at 7am on Monday. Other areas that witnessed exceptionally heavy rainfall included Bhira (609mm), Tamhini (580mm), Shirgaon (540mm), Ambone (537mm), Khopoli (516mm) and Lonavala town (495mm). Davdi received 474mm, Dongerwadi 451mm and Walwhan 442mm.School ClosuresIn view of the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) red alert forecasting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi ordered the closure of all Anganwadis and primary, secondary and higher secondary schools across Pune city and the district on Monday.Safety Measures“The IMD has issued a red alert for Pune district forecasting extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places. Keeping the safety of students as the top priority, all schools and Anganwadis in Pune city and Pune district will remain closed on Monday,” Dudi said.He added that while students had been granted a holiday, headmasters, teachers and non-teaching staff should report for duty and remain available for disaster management work, if required.The district administration also appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from rivers, streams and waterfalls, and strictly follow official advisories.Disruption of TransportThe intense rainfall caused widespread disruption along the Pune-Mumbai corridor. Landslides at multiple locations forced the closure of both the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the old Mumbai-Pune Highway in both directions, with authorities suspending traffic until further notice. Commuters have been advised to postpone travel between the two cities.Rail services were also affected after a landslide between Lonavala and Karjat deposited mud and debris on the railway tracks, leading to a temporary suspension of train services while restoration work and safety inspections were carried out.Rescue OperationsHeavy rain also triggered a landslide on a house in Patan village in Maval taluka early on Monday. Rescue operations are underway amid fears that members of a family may be trapped under the debris. A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed at the site.Officials said continuous rainfall over the past four to five days had left slopes in the Western Ghats highly unstable, increasing the risk of further landslides. Disaster response teams and local authorities remain on high alert as heavy rain is expected to continue.