Kurla landslide: 12 yrs after Malin, relocation policy faces reality check

The Maharashtra government had announced a comprehensive action plan to permanently relocate residents living in landslide-prone areas across the state

MUMBAI: The landslide at Chirag Nagar in Kurla on Wednesday, which claimed seven lives, has once again raised questions over the effectiveness of measures to protect people living in landslide-prone areas, particularly densely populated settlements on Mumbai’s hillsides.

After the 2014 Malin landslide in Pune district, the Maharashtra government had announced a comprehensive action plan to permanently relocate residents living in landslide-prone areas across the state. (Hindustan Times)

After the 2014 Malin landslide in Pune district, and again after the 2023 Irshalwadi tragedy, the Maharashtra government had announced a comprehensive action plan to permanently relocate residents living in landslide-prone areas across the state.

The central government has also conducted a survey of landslide-prone areas across the country through the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and mapped them as part of the National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM) programme. Based on this data, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) identified 74 vulnerable landslide-prone areas, many of which were in and around areas like Kurla and Ghatkopar.

RTI activist Anil Galgali, who has sought information on homes and slums in landslide-prone areas in Mumbai every year, said the Mumbai Slum Improvement Board had, over a decade ago, recommended to the state government that 9,657 of the 22,483 slums in the landslide-prone areas in the city need to be relocated on priority. It had also proposed protecting the remaining slums by constructing retaining walls around the hills. However, there has been no concrete action on the recommendations for years, he added.

Officials from the state government said that preventing deaths in landslide-prone urban areas such as Mumbai would ultimately require people living in the most vulnerable locations to be relocated, even if they were unwilling to move. “As people don’t want to relocate to other areas, it needs strong political will and a stringent action plan, and its strict implementation,” said an official.

Vinita Vaid Singal, principal secretary, relief and rehabilitation department, said area-specific action plans for landslide-prone locations were already in place and were being implemented by the respective local authorities. She said the BMC would submit a report on the Kurla incident on Thursday, after which the department would decide on further action.

“Relocation is a major challenge as people don’t want to shift to other areas. Still, the government official tries to convince them to shift to a nearby area. But getting land in a nearby area is a challenge. As far as the incident of Kurla is concerned, we will receive a report from BMC by tomorrow (Thursday), and then the department will take a call on it,” said Singal.

Makarand Jadhav-Patil, minister for relief and rehabilitation, said the department would soon prepare a new policy for rehabilitating people living in landslide-prone areas and those affected by landslides and other natural calamities.

“We are going to prepare a new policy for the rehabilitation of people living in the landslide-prone areas and suffered from natural calamities. It would be for the entire state. But as far as areas in Mumbai are concerned, the authority is with BMC,” said Patil.