Mumbai
A massive landslide struck the hilly tribal village of Irshalwadi, inhabited mostly by the Thakar Adivasis, around 11 pm on Wednesday leaving a trail of destruction behind.
As many as 22 people were killed and scores are feared trapped under the debris of the landslide even as carrying out rescue operations in the absence of motorable roads or other infrastructure is proving difficult.
Irshalwadi village in Khalapur tehsil of Maharashtra’s Raigad district, which has received heavy rainfall for the last 48 hours, is located near the Irshalgad Fort, a popular trekking destination. It is situated on a hilltop and to reach there it needs a trek of one and a half hours from the nearest pucca road. Heavy machinery like earth movers and excavators thus could not reach the spot quickly for rescue operations.
Against the backdrop of the Irshalwadi tragedy, residents and officials of 18 other villages, which too are situated in remote hilly areas and do not have motorable or pucca roads, of Raigad district have written to the Chief Minister.
“The country became independent 75 years ago but the tribal Thakar population of Irshalwadi did not have a pucca road,” said one resident of the ill-fated village.
“The following tribal hamlets similarly do not have (pucca) roads and communication facilities. We are providing a list of these villages so that the government can take preventive measures and avert a repeat of another Irshalwadi (tragedy), and use modern machinery for rescue operations if such an incident takes place,” said the letter.
Besides Isrhalwadi, the letter mentioned the villages of Hashyachi Patti near the hill station of Matheran, Katwan, Changwadi and Gaarbhat in Khalapur tehsil, and Dhakwadi, Tungi, Bekrewadi, Aasalwadi, Nanyancha Maal, Manha Dhangarwada, Dhamandand, Borichiwadi, Bhutavaliwadi, Sagachiwadi, Chinchwadi, Aashane Thakurwadi and Kirawaliwadi as vulnerable villages.
Briefing the Assembly on the incident, Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the incident occurred at about 11 pm on Wednesday. “A total of 228 people reside in the village, of which 70 were unaffected. Twenty-one people were rescued safely, of which six injured have been admitted to the MGM hospital,” Fadnavis told the Assembly on Thursday.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who reached the spot early Thursday morning and oversaw rescue and relief operations throughout the day, announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the victims. Shinde said the village was not on the list of landslide-prone areas.
