Mumbai, July 9 (IANS) Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) legislator Jayant Patil on Thursday drew the government’s attention to the critical situation arising from the torrential rains on July 5 and 6, 2026.

He strongly criticised the government for its lack of planning, substandard infrastructure work, and inadequate preparedness in the face of climate change.

During a short-duration discussion on the issue, Patil said that instances of heavy rainfall and cloudbursts are rising in the state.

He questioned why construction practices have not been adapted accordingly, adding that the pathetic condition of roads and bridges is unheard of elsewhere.

“There is a total reign of potholes everywhere,” he said, taunting that development is “seen playing in floodwaters, floating in road potholes, sliding down collapsed landslides, and playing hide-and-seek among fallen trees.”

Patil said the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, which had never shut down before, came to a grinding halt due to the ‘Missing Link’ project. Consultants from six countries had advised the government.

“The government claims to have used state-of-the-art technology, and a bridge initially budgeted at Rs 3,500 crore was completed at a whopping Rs 7,500 crore. Yet, a landslide occurred on it. Was the structural stability of the hill examined beforehand?” he asked.

According to Patil, the work has been underway since 2018. Understanding the technical aspects was the consultants’ responsibility. Even if it required an additional Rs 200 crore, safety should have been completely guaranteed. Fortunately, no vehicle was trapped under the debris, or there would have been a loss of life. Experiencing this in the very first spell of rain raises serious questions about the quality of infrastructure.

“The justification given is that this is the first rain. But surely, they have experienced the rains of the last four years. This is a failure of the consultants and engineers on site. The government must stop defending everything,” he added.

Patil clarified that the opposition was not blaming anyone personally but was fulfilling its duty to highlight issues and demand rectification. “People are now questioning every single infrastructure project of yours,” he remarked while targeting the state government.

He said the metro journey in Mumbai began under Manmohan Singh and Vilasrao Deshmukh, after which metros were introduced in other states. Singh had launched schemes to support urban infrastructure through municipal corporations.

“We are not opposed to infrastructure, but what is built must be of global standards,” he said.

The Chief Minister claimed that projects worth Rs 12 lakh crore have been undertaken.

“In 2018, the Chief Minister stated that an investment of Rs 12 lakh crore would come to Maharashtra. We did not question it then, but there must be accountability now,” he argued.

Patil said that in just seven days, from June 30 to July 6, 2026, 15 citizens lost their lives in various accidents across Mumbai. Eleven people died in Raigad district. Thousands of gas cylinders were seen floating down the Patalganga river due to floods.

In Nalasopara, a 13-year-old boy drowned in floodwaters. A building collapsed in Moshi, trapping 18 people. One person died in the Sangameshwar floods, and two lost their lives in a landslide at Dahivadi.

He claimed that ruthless excavation of hills in the Western Ghats is loosening the soil, causing landslides onto major highways. The report submitted by the Madhav Gadgil Committee is crucial in this context. “If innocent lives are to be lost every year despite spending crores of rupees, who is responsible for this corrupt system?” he asked.

Further, Patil said that in Mumbai, the roots of trees have been suffocated in the name of road concretisation, causing hundreds of trees to uproot over the past few days, claiming the life of a young child named Vihan.

“This is nothing but a mechanism to plunder the state and empty the treasury by handing out contracts,” he said.

The Municipal Commissioner claimed that the trees fell due to heavy rain and wind, not because of concrete roads. “But when the primary roots of trees are cut down during roadworks, reducing their structural support, will they not collapse?” he questioned.

–IANS

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