To western India now, where more than 31 people have been killed as walls collapsed in different cities after heavy rain hit the country's Maharashtra state. And in the state's capital Mumbai, the death toll is over twenty. Our correspondent Rebecca Bundhun has the report.

Battered by heavy monsoon rains, a wall in this Mumbai slum collapsed, claiming lives of impoverished people living there. The incident followed two days of torrential rain - officials said it was the heaviest rainfall the city had seen in a decade.

GANESH EYEWITNESS "When the nearby drainage canal overflowed, the water pressure led to the collapse of the wall. I've just come from the hospital."

The rains have brought huge disruption to India's financial capital. The state government declared Tuesday a public holiday and people were advised to stay indoors. Schools were closed and a lot of shops were shut, as many people didn't venture into work. Flights and trains were cancelled and delayed. Many roads were waterlogged. Teams worked to clear the water and people were moved from low-lying areas to safety.

REBECCA BUNDHUN MUMBAI "The monsoon season has only just started in Mumbai - it runs until September. Given the chaos it has already caused, people are worried about the impact it will have on the city over the coming months and they're questioning whether authorities could do more to prepare for the annual monsoon rains."

Many say poor construction and infrastructure are putting people's lives at risk.

SUVENESH MUMBAI RESIDENT "In Mumbai, rains are as usual. It's not exceptional, and still we are suffering. So there is lack of either planning or implementing the planning."

SWARUP MUMBAI RESIDENT "Every year it is heavy rainfall and every year the situation is getting worse. We are expecting a better situation from our government to do something, clean the gutters."

Floods claim hundreds of lives every year in India. The state government says these rains were 'unprecedented'.

DEVENDRA FADNAVIS CHIEF MINISTER OF MAHARASHTRA "Whether it's the police department or the disaster management department - which is under the Mumbai municipal corporation - they are fully alert and on the streets helping people."

With further heavy rains forecast for Mumbai this week, authorities say they are fully prepared. But the city is bracing itself for further disruption. Rebecca Bundhun, CGTN, Mumbai.