A total of 27 people lost their lives just a few weeks back due to a landslide in Maharashtra’s Irshalgad area. Now, as per official information from the government which News18 has accessed, 211 more villages in Raigad district are at risk of landslides and 136 villages there face the threat of floods. During the ongoing monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and member of legislative council Prasad Lad asked the state government about other villages in Raigad district that are in danger of floods and landslides, and, in such a scenario, what measures has the administration taken to ensure the safety and security of the locals and their properties. In a written reply, minister for relief and rehabilitation Anil Patil shared the above-mentioned information.
Regarding the safety and security of these people in case of any untoward incident, the minister said that people could be shifted to local schools and community halls. Also, action teams have been formed in each village facing any of these threats. These teams include talathis, gram sevaks, police-patils, gramvikas adhikaris, local NGOs working in those areas, etc. Also, all state government offices in the district have been asked to activate 24X7 control rooms.
In the Irshalgad incident, the rescue and relief operation was halted after four days due to extreme weather conditions and a lack of infrastructure because of which heavy machinery couldn’t be taken to the spot. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams along with local rescue units manage to recover 27 bodies from the debris but couldn’t trace 57 missing people. Two years ago in the same district near Mahad town, 84 people had lost their lives due to a landslide. There also authorities faced similar challenges as due to continuous rain the access road was in bad shape and help couldn’t reach in time.
While speaking to News18, BJP leader Prasad Lad who raised the question in the council said that he is not at all happy with the written answer given by the government. “I have demanded that the state government should do a geological survey of villages that are under such threat and have permanent infrastructure in Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts where villagers can be shifted. I have been assured by the state government that this week they will have a meeting regarding this issue. But more than 300 villages are under threat of landslides and floods and need immediate attention from the government. Any government which is in power just can’t give Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the kin of victims. We need to have permanent solutions for these problems.”
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