Amitabh Bachchan tells fans 'venture out only if urgent' as Mumbai rains lash city; thanks crowd outside Jalsa

Despite heavy rainfall disrupting normal life across Mumbai, megastar Amitabh Bachchan's weekly Sunday greeting outside his residence, Jalsa, continued as usual. Touched by the dedication of fans who gathered outside his home amid the downpour, the veteran actor shared a heartfelt note expressing his gratitude while also urging everyone to stay safe.

Taking to his official blog, Amitabh posted a series of pictures from his customary Sunday interaction with fans. As always, he greeted the crowd with folded hands, signed autographs and acknowledged the unwavering love he continues to receive.

Expressing how much their presence meant to him, the actor wrote, "They come despite the weather - rain, shine, winter .. and the same enthusiasm .. so deeply moving for me."

Reflecting on Mumbai's ongoing monsoon, which has caused flooding in several parts of the city over the past few days, he added, "The rains do not abate .. flooding continues .. yes, Monsoon delayed, and now the water resources - the surrounding Lakes filling up .. some difficulty to dwellers .. farming .. but this too shall pass."

He concluded his message with an appeal to citizens to remain cautious during the rains.

"Be well all .. be safe .. venture out only if absolutely urgent .. as in Mumbai .. but in general too .. all of you are too precious."

His post comes shortly after a video showing rainwater entering the compound of Jalsa went viral on social media. The clip captured water accumulating outside the iconic bungalow before flowing into the premises as nearby drains struggled to cope with the intense rainfall. Many social media users pointed to the visuals as another example of Mumbai's recurring monsoon flooding.

Over the past few days, heavy showers have caused widespread waterlogging, traffic congestion and disruptions across several parts of the city, with civic authorities working to clear blocked drains and minimise flooding as more rain is expected.

Meanwhile, heavy rains continued to lash Mumbai on Monday, inundating low-lying areas, disrupting road, rail and air traffic, and showing no signs of easing as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast more intense showers through the day. The weather department has issued an Orange Alert for Mumbai, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall at several places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated locations over the next 24 hours.

Amid the relentless monsoon, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde appealed to residents to avoid unnecessary outdoor movement until July 10. Citing the IMD's weather warnings, she said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has intensified emergency operations and is issuing weather alerts every 30 minutes to keep citizens informed.

The State Disaster Management Authority also advised private offices to allow employees to work from home wherever possible. It further directed non-essential government offices to function only for a half-day to minimise travel and ensure public safety during the ongoing heavy rainfall.

Appealing to citizens to remain vigilant, the Maharashtra government said that, against the backdrop of the heavy downpour across the state, all administrative machinery has been fully geared up to handle any emergency. It urged people to avoid stepping out of their homes as much as possible, travel only if absolutely essential, and strictly follow the instructions, advisories and alerts issued by the administration.

The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly was adjourned for the entire day on Monday owing to the severe weather conditions and widespread rain-related disruptions across Mumbai.

Heavy rainfall and landslides near the Urse Toll Plaza triggered massive traffic congestion on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, with long queues of vehicles forming as movement slowed on the affected stretch. Authorities urged motorists to drive cautiously amid continuing monsoon conditions.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation also issued a safety advisory directing construction sites across Mumbai to strictly follow safety guidelines in view of heavy rain and strong winds. The advisory aims to minimise risks to workers and the public as severe monsoon conditions continue.

Authorities also urged commuters to make use of verified mobile applications providing live weather updates, navigation assistance and public transport information to avoid flooded roads and traffic congestion during the monsoon.

Heavy rainfall also caused widespread waterlogging in neighbouring Raigad district, disrupting traffic on the Mumbai-Goa Highway as vehicles moved cautiously through flooded stretches while authorities continued to monitor the situation.

Political spar over Mumbai's infrastructure

The monsoon disruption also triggered a fresh political confrontation, with a fierce war of words erupting between the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over alleged corruption in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and infrastructure failures across Mumbai and Maharashtra.

The political temperature soared after Mumbai BJP chief Amit Satam targeted the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT), alleging that both parties had "milked" the BMC for 25 years.

Satam also took a direct swipe at MNS chief Raj Thackeray, prompting aggressive protests by MNS workers across the state. Party workers staged demonstrations, including one near Chembur Station, where they hit Amit Satam's effigy with footwear in protest.

Senior MNS leader and former MLA Bala Nandgaonkar hit back at the BJP, targeting both Amit Satam and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the condition of the recently inaugurated Mumbai-Pune Missing Link Expressway.

"When a hunter aims precisely at his prey, he is called a hunter. But those who act in a hasty, reckless manner end up becoming the prey themselves. The Missing Link project was rushed through before the elections to gather election funding. Take credit for good work, but take responsibility for its failures as well," Nandgaonkar said.

The MNS also targeted the BJP-led Mahayuti government through its official X handle, questioning how the Mumbai-Pune Missing Link, inaugurated barely two months ago, had come to a standstill due to a landslide.

"Considering that this is a landslide-prone area, weren't any precautionary measures provided?" the party asked.

The party further criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' remarks that testing of the bridge was still underway.

"If testing is still ongoing, why was this never mentioned during the inauguration? What's the purpose of opening the road for public use while testing continues? You took the credit, but will you now take responsibility for this negligence?" the MNS asked.

Nandgaonkar also demanded an immediate audit of trees across Mumbai following recent tree-falling incidents, stressing the need for stronger pre-monsoon preparedness.

Launching a scathing attack on Satam, he said, "We have seen past Mumbai BJP presidents and their work. I don't know why the new president has been appointed, but his behaviour reeks of the arrogance of power."

He also demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra BJP President Ravindra Chavan immediately remove Amit Satam from his post.

Addressing Satam's criticism of Raj Thackeray, Nandgaonkar warned, "One must know their limits before speaking. Do we speak loosely about CM Fadnavis, PM Modi or Amit Shah? Everyone must know their place."

The political confrontation unfolded even as Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve and party legislators staged a protest against the Maharashtra government inside Mumbai's Vidhan Bhavan, raising slogans and displaying banners during the ongoing monsoon session amid mounting criticism over the state's handling of the rain-related crisis and infrastructure failures.