At least 63 people have died and 78 others have been injured in heavy rains and monsoon-related incidents across Maharashtra between 1 June and 8 July, Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan told the state Legislative Assembly on Thursday. The government has disbursed financial assistance of ₹4 lakh each to the families of the deceased under official relief criteria.

Breakdown of Casualties

Replying to a short-duration discussion initiated by the Opposition, Minister Mahajan provided a cause-wise breakdown of the 63 deaths: wall collapses accounted for 25 fatalities, lightning strikes for 23, landslides for 6, tree falls for 6, and drowning in floodwaters for 3. Beyond human casualties, 200 cattle have perished and 10 more have been injured during the same period.

Pune Garbage Depot Tragedy

Minister Mahajan addressed the recent collapse at a garbage depot in Pune, attributing it to a 47-year-old accumulated dump that gave way after the area received a staggering 635 mm of rainfall within just a day-and-a-half. The debris collapsed onto a building constructed approximately a year ago. As of the Assembly session, 23 people remained trapped under the rubble, with rescue operations actively underway.

Government's Relief Response

The state has deployed relief measures across several fronts. Seven heavily affected districts have each received an allocation of ₹1 crore from the disaster management department. In Palghar district alone, relief material has been distributed to 1,000 citizens. Displaced residents across flood-hit areas have been provided ration kits carrying supplies sufficient for 15 days.

In the Vasai-Virar region, flooding has severely disrupted both power supply and mobile connectivity. Minister Mahajan said discussions have been held with telecom companies, and restoration of electricity and communication networks will be pursued 'on a war footing' as soon as floodwaters recede.

Political Row and Minister's Appeal

Defending the government's disaster management record, Minister Mahajan asserted there had been 'no lapse' in the state's response. 'I have been personally touring various affected districts for the last five days. When the state faces a crisis, we must stand together. It is crucial to put politics aside when the public is in distress,' he urged the Opposition.

The minister also pushed back against Opposition allegations that ₹7,000 crore had been wasted on the 'Missing Link' project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway due to rain damage. 'The project has suffered no damage whatsoever. Such allegations are being made solely to defame the government,' he said. Maharashtra is currently grappling with anomalous weather patterns, with a month's worth of rain falling within days — triggering flooded roads, waterlogging in homes, and forced evacuations across multiple cities. All eyes now remain on the trajectory of the monsoon and the pace of rescue operations in Pune.