In a catastrophic incident of a killer landslide that struck Irshalwadi village in the Khalapur tehsil of Maharashtra’s Raigad district around the midnight hours of July 19 and July 20, at least ten people have been left dead, several injured, and many others possibly trapped.
The National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) quickly swung into cation as soon as they got information about the disastrous landslide. Two NDRF teams were deployed to conduct the rescue and relief operations.
The site is close to the Morbi dam and lies in a bowl-shaped topography at the base of a mountain. It is home to hundreds of Adivasi families and it houses hundreds of suchj people.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde travelled through rough mountainside valley terrain amidst rain showers and walked through thick vegetation.
Chief Minister @mieknathshinde is bravely navigating a treacherous trail to reach the landslide site in Irshalwadi. He visited the affected spot in order to boost the spirits of the affected people and provide assistance to the villagers who were stranded.#IrshalgadLandslide pic.twitter.com/wn5woGYToI
— MAHARASHTRA DGIPR (@MahaDGIPR) July 20, 2023
खालापूर (जि. रायगड) येथील इरशाळगडाच्या पायथ्याशी असलेल्या वस्तीवर दरड कोसळली आहे. या घटनेची माहिती मिळताच मुख्यमंत्री @mieknathshinde हे तातडीने घटनास्थळी दाखल झाले असून मदत व बचावकार्याचा आढावा घेत आहेत.
प्रचंड पाऊस आणि अवघड रस्ता यामुळे बचाव कार्य कार्यात अडथळा येत असला तरी… pic.twitter.com/ipXze5yOZu
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) July 20, 2023
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly members that the landslide happened around 11 pm on July 19. The 21 persons injured have been moved to hospital and others have been shifted to a state-run camp. 10 bodies have been identified and would be handed over to the kith and kin after the completion of the post-mortem.
After the landslide at Irshalgad in Raigad Dist., the administration is continuously carrying out help and rescue operations with full strength tackling and overcoming all obstacles.
CM Eknath Shinde ji himself had reached on the spot.
Minister Girish Mahajan ji and MLA Mahesh… pic.twitter.com/MuErQpZ5Ob— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) July 20, 2023
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar took to twitter to express his condolences to the family of the bereaved and paid tribute to those who are dead. Overseeing the Emergency Control Unit work, Pawar said that rescue and relief work undertaken was being executed on a war footing.
रायगड जिल्ह्यात अतिवृष्टीमुळे खालापूरनजिक इर्शाळवाडी परिसरात गावावर दरड कोसळून झालेली दुर्घटना मन पिळवटून टाकणारी आहे. दरडीच्या ढिगाऱ्याखाली अनेकजण अडकल्याची भीती आहे. बचावकार्य युद्धपातळीवर सुरु आहे. अनेकांना सुखरूप बाहेर काढण्यात बचाव पथकाला यश आलं आहे. परंतु पाऊस सतत पडत…
— Ajit Pawar (@AjitPawarSpeaks) July 20, 2023
He reassured that the rescue and rehabilitation work is being carried out on a war footing. Pawar appealed to his followers that this year on his upcoming birthday (July 22) no gifts or bouquets be sent to him and that wellwishers must divert their funds toward the welfare of the families affected in the tragic landslide.
Netizens have lauded the coordinated manner in which the BJP-Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) government in Maharashtra is managing the rescue and relief work.
Deputy CM @AjitPawarSpeaks is monitoring the rescue and relief work at #Irshalgad site where landslide has happened on residential area. pic.twitter.com/1YdJNtvYhG
— Mayuresh Ganapatye (@mayuganapatye) July 20, 2023
While the CM is at the ground zero site, Dy CM Ajit Pawar is overseeing the Control Room and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis is attending to the queries on this and other important legislative matters.
. #समन्वय
राजकारणात समन्वय कसा असावा ह्याच उदाहरण आज महाराष्ट्राने पाहिलं
इर्शाळवाडीला दुर्दैवी घटना घडली त्याच्या मदतकार्यासाठी घटनास्थळी@mieknathshinde
आपत्ती निवारण कक्षात @AjitPawarSpeaks
विधिमंडळात @Dev_Fadnavis
जो माणूस ज्या कामात हुशार आहे..तो योग्य ठिकाणी कार्यरत🔥 pic.twitter.com/jIsn6kGKji— पाटील™ (@patilji_speaks) July 20, 2023
Rescue operations are being hampered by the difficult terrain where huge earth-moving machinery cannot be easily transported and the weather has also not been favourable.
At about 2.30 am on early Thursday morning, one of the officers of the Navi Mumbai Fire Brigade suffered a heart attack while travelling down to the mishap site. 50-year-old Shivram Dhumane could not be resuscitated.
Meanwhile, several young and old persons, and domestic cattle – are feared trapped under the debris left behind by the landslide that flattened the houses of the wadi or settlement of Adivasi tribal Thakars.
