Raigad landslide: Need to conduct geographical survey of villages in mountain ranges, says Danve

Aurangabad: Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve on Thursday demanded a survey of villages across mountain ranges in the state after at least 10 people were killed in a landslide in Raigad district.

This survey should be done on a mission mode, he tweeted.

At least 10 people have died in the landslide at Irshalwadi village on Wednesday night due to very heavy rains.

Danve said he reached the tribal village, located on a hill, after a climb and interacted with personnel from the National Disaster Response Force at the site.

There is a need to learn from the Irshalwadi tragedy, he said on social media.

“There is an utmost need to carry out an audit of villages sitting on foothills in mountain ranges like Sahyadri and Satpuda and their geographical location. The villages that need relocation should be moved on priority,” he tweeted.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said governments will come and go but this work should not stop. “It should be done on a ‘mission’ mode so that no one loses their life like this (in Irshalwadi),” he tweeted.

According to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the area where the landslide took place reported 499 mm rainfall in the last three days. As many as 60 jawans of the NDRF, trained trekkers and other government officials are engaged in the rescue operation, he told the assembly.

Earlier, state Congress president Nana Patole said in the assembly, “The Madhav Gadgil committee (on environment) was formed during the UPA-II government. But its report was never published. The state government should clarify why the report is not out yet.”

Responding to it, Fadnavis said, “The Gadgil committee report was submitted to the Union government, which has recommended mapping of the villages in the Western Ghats. Maharashtra has completed the mapping. Similar work of other two states is pending.”