Incessant rain in Marathwada disrupts MSRTC bus service

Several buses bound for Pune, particularly those to the Swargate and Shivajinagar depots, arrived late, while services on the Jalna route were completely suspended, causing major inconvenience to passengers.

PUNE: Continuous heavy rainfall in Marathwada has severely disrupted operations of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus service. Districts including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Latur, and Dharashiv have been severely affected, resulting in the cancellation and diversion of several state transport (ST) buses over the past three to four days, officials stated.

Pune, India - April 28, 2022:MSRTC busses at Swargate ST stand in Pune, India, Thursday, April 28, 2022-HT photo

Waterlogging on key highways—Shevgaon, Jalna (Ambad), Karmala (Sangoba), and Dharashiv (Paranda, Kalamb, Jamkhed)—prompted MSRTC to halt services on certain routes. Several buses bound for Pune, particularly those to the Swargate and Shivajinagar depots, arrived late, while services on the Jalna route were completely suspended, causing major inconvenience to passengers.

Despite the adverse conditions, some services, including Vallabh Nagar–Paranda, Swargate–Karmala, Vallabh Nagar–Bhoom, and Swargate–Paranda, managed to depart on schedule from Swargate bus station. However, floodwaters from the overflowing Sinay River on the Solapur–Dharashiv highway forced diversions, leading to further delays in arrivals at Pune depots.

Services from Bhoom, Paranda, Solapur, Jamkhed, Tembhurni, and Barshi bus stations towards Pune were also affected, with several buses either canceled or running behind schedule.

Pratap Sarnaik, Maharashtra transport minister, has directed depot managers to plan operations in line with weather forecasts to ensure commuter safety. He also authorised officials in flood-affected regions to take independent decisions on bus movements.

The persistent downpour has not only disrupted road connectivity but also left commuters stranded and uncertain about travel schedules, underlining the growing impact of extreme weather on public transport across the state.