Jul 21, 2023
TNNAt least 16 people died when this year's biggest tragedy struck a remote village in Maharashtra when a heavy rainfall triggered a massive landslide.
Image Source: TNN
The landslide took place at tribal hamlet Irshalwadi in Khalapur tehsil in the foothills of the Sahyadri range in Raigad district.
Image Source: Timesofindia
It is a favored trekking destination, although it lacks formal steps and consists of steep terrain, offering spectacular views of Morbe dam, which supplies water to Navi Mumbai. The trek route typically takes a little over an hour and commences from Namarachiwadi.
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As bodies upon bodies were carried away from the landslide-hit Irshalwadi on Thursday, stunned survivors, unable to grasp the sudden loss of loved ones, homes and life as they knew it, wailed or quietly sobbed.
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Four teams of the NDRF’s 5th battalion from Pune are involved in the rescue operation along with other relief agencies at the site, which is not accessible by a motorable road.
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288 tribals live in those houses. The tribals belong to the Thakur community, with surnames such as Bhavar, Pardi and Dore that are dependent on agriculture, livestock and farm work. They are legal inhabitants who have been residing in the area for centuries.
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We saw villagers wailing and shouting. We could see hands, faces, legs in the debris. There were a few who were stuck deep and it was difficult bringing them out, said trekker Rajesh Sutar.
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Rescuers have retrieved 16 bodies, but nearly 100-125 people are believed to have been swept under torrents of mud and rock in their sleep.
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Officials said 88 villagers are believed to have survived. Karjat sub divisional officer Ajit Nairale said, "Houses of 18 families were damaged and 7 others partly."
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CM Eknath Shinde rushed to the site and later walked up to the landslide-hit zone to take stock. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5lakh to the victims’ kin.
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The Geological Survey of India had not listed this area as landslide prone. Also, in the past there had been no incidents of landslides or rockfalls in this area, said deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
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Fadnavis stated that the hamlet cannot be reached by road. "One has to walk for 1. 5 hours. There is no electricity and mobile coverage is poor. There are rubble, rocks and mud on the route."
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Past tragedies in the Sahyadri ranges include Malin (151 lives lost on July 30, 2014 in Malin village, in Ambegaon, Pune district) and Taliye (85 deaths on July 22, 2021 as a massive hillock collapsed in Taliye village, Mahad tehsil, Raigad district)
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Experts say the recurring landslides in the Ghats appear to have a 'manmade element'. They attributed the Malin tragedy to uncontrolled quarrying, resulting in erosion of vegetation and soil denudation.
Image Source: Timesofindia
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