Death toll in Raigad landslide rises to 25, environmentalists blame mining activities for disaster

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The NDRF recovered nine more dead bodies from the debris on the third day of rescue operations in landslide-hit Irshalwadi village in Maharashtras Raigad district. As the death toll in the tragedy rose to 25 on Saturday, environmentalists blamed mining activities for the man-made disaster, with at least two organizations writing to the government to ban quarrying in the area.

The village of Irshalwadi with a population of 228 was swept away by mud and stones amid heavy rains late on the night of 19 July. So far, while 25 people have died in the disaster, at least 104 villagers are still missing. Among the survivors, some have lost their entire family, while others are left homeless. Rescue operations in the remote village are carried out by four teams of more than 100 NDRF personnel, in addition to state rescue units.

Authorities transferred the survivors to a local school, with the government planning to set up 60 temporary structures (containers) to house them. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who also visited the site, pledged relief of Rs five lakh to survivors of the tragedy.

Due to bad weather, topography, manual rescue operations

The rescue teams, who cannot use heavy machinery on the site due to the topography of the area and the weather conditions, have been carrying out the operations manually, day and night, for three days.

We deployed four teams of about 100 to 120 men. Today is the third day of rescue operations and we have recovered 25 bodies, NDRF Deputy Commander Deepak Tiwari said, adding that the affected village is located on a hill just below Irshalwadi Fort.

It is difficult to transport manpower, heavy machinery and other equipment to the site. In addition, there is continuous rainfall and strong winds. The helidrop is not possible due to bad weather and we have to walk up the hill. All these conditions force us to do our work manually. But we are doing our best.

It’s a man-made disaster

Amid the rising death toll in the landslide-hit village of Irshalwadi, Raigad-based conservationist Dr Sameer Butala has described the disaster as man-made.

It is a man-made disaster. The ground has loosened due to ongoing construction work and quarrying in the area. Hundreds of quarries are found in the hilly areas of Raigad district. This quarry loosens the soil and so during heavy rains it cannot hold water resulting in a landslide, he said.

Echoing Butalas’ views, environmental organizations NatConnect Foundation and Shri Ekvira Aai Pratishthan wrote to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on July 21 asking for an immediate ban on quarrying across the hills of Raigad and neighboring Thane.

Notably, Taliye village of Mahad tehsil in Raigad district suffered a similar fate due to a landslide in 2021, which resulted in the death of 86 people.

Newslaundry previously reported how the residents of Mahad taluka in Raigad district witness devastating floods every year due to the construction of Kokan Railways in the area. The railways’ decision to build a bridge in the village of Dasgaon has made Mahad vulnerable to flooding, with frequent landslides also becoming a facet of the area. Read all about it here.

survivors of the tragedy

At least 10 of his family members who resided in Irshalwadi village have since missed the July 19 landslide, said Badlapur resident Kanta Kudale. Those missing include three minors, three women and four men.

Meanwhile, a survivor of the tragedy, Ashok Bhutmbara has lost his mother and grandmother, while his sister and father are missing.

A 57-year-old vegetable seller, Ambi Bhavar has lost all of her family members, including her brother Shaniwarya Bhavar, her sister-in-law Kamli Bhavar and her five-year-old nephew Suresh Bhavar.

According to reports, the corpses recovered from the wreckage included those of Radhi Bhavar and Dhama Bhavar, who are survived by their children Ananta Bhavar and Ganesh Bhavar who were both at their boarding schools in Raigad and Matheran when tragedy struck.

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