Maha to Move Residents from Landslide-prone Areas to Safer Locations: CM Shinde

Amid the rising death toll in the Ershalwadi mudslide, the Maharashtra government has decided to relocate residents of all landslide-prone areas of the state to safer locations, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Friday.

In a statement in the Legislative Assembly, Shinde said the tribal village of Ershalwadi in Raigad district is not included in the list of landslide-prone areas.

With the discovery of six more bodies on Friday, the death toll in the accident rose to 22. The Central Committee said more than 100 people were still missing.

“A decision was taken in the Cabinet today to move people from landslide-prone areas. They will be rehabilitated and moved to a safer place permanently,” Shinde said. He said earlier that people from landslide-prone areas had been moved to safer places in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Kolhapur districts, but now it will be done across the state.

The residents of Irchalwadi were first taken to a school, Shinde said, but 60 containers were ordered to house them. Until they are rehabilitated, they will be housed in those containers, the center said.

He said the land has been identified for rehabilitation and the government agency Sedco has been asked to build houses immediately.

The landslide hit a tribal village in Khalapur Tsil of Raigad coastal district, about 80 km from Mumbai, at around 10:30 pm on July 19.

At least 17 of the 48 homes in the village, located on a hillside, are completely or partially buried under the rubble.

Officials said the village, which is overlooked by the Ershalqed Fort and is a popular trekking destination, has no Boca road, earthmoving bulldozers and excavators cannot be easily moved, and rescue operations are carried out manually.

(This story was not edited by the News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)