In response to the escalating death toll resulting from the Irshalwadi mudslide, the Maharashtra government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, announced their decision to relocate residents from all areas prone to landslides to safer locations on Friday. Despite the tragic incident in the tribal hamlet of Irshalwadi in Raigad district, it was not previously identified as a landslide-prone area.
The number of casualties reached 22 after six more bodies were recovered on Friday, while more than 100 people remain unaccounted for. Chief Minister Shinde declared that the cabinet has taken the decision to permanently resettle people from landslide-prone regions, extending the rehabilitation beyond Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Kolhapur districts to cover the entire state.
Initially, the residents of Irshalwadi were relocated to a school, but now, 60 containers have been procured to temporarily house them until proper rehabilitation can take place. The government has already identified suitable land for their resettlement, and the state agency CIDCO has been assigned the task of constructing houses immediately.
The tragic landslide occurred in the tribal village situated in Khalapur tehsil, within the coastal Raigad district, approximately 80 km away from Mumbai. The village, positioned on a hill slope, had 48 houses, 17 of which were either fully or partially buried under the debris.
Due to the lack of a well-built road leading to the village, the use of earthmovers and excavators for rescue operations was hindered, forcing officials to conduct the rescue efforts manually. Irshalgad Fort, a famous trekking destination, overlooks the village.
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