Irsalwadi landslide survivors finally get keys to their new homes

One of the survivors shifting his belongings into the new constructed houses

All forty-four survivors of the Irsalwadi landslide-affected villages received the keys to their much-awaited rehabilitation homes. While most of them shifted to their new homes from the makeshift containers turned homes after the landslide, a few are likely to shift by the coming weekend.

The keys were handed over on October 11 by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at a function in Navi Mumbai. While some villagers are excited about getting concrete houses, others say that the original house (on the foothills of Irsalwadi) had multiple rooms and they had just renovated their homes before the landslide and had lost all their savings. Some of them now await jobs, as promised by the district administration.

The newly constructed houses for the survivors

"The initial plan was to hand over the keys on August 15, but that got delayed. We are happy that the government kept its promise," said Ganpat Pardhi, 30, who intends to move to his new house on Thursday. "We had three houses [two pakka and a shanty] before the landslide and in the rehabilitated project my father and I got two separate houses. The houses look good. I have also handed over a request letter to the chief minister during the function for a cremation ground and jobs for those without one," said Ganpat, who works as a daily labourer, earning Rs 750 a day.

CM Eknath Shinde hands over the key of the new house to a survivor at a function in Navi Mumbai

Madhav Sutak, 25, said, "We had a 2BHK house, with a huge hall and had sufficient space inside our old house but the new house is only a 1BHK, with a small hall area, and a smaller bedroom. Unlike our old house, where we had to fetch water from the common tap 200 metres away from the house, the new house has water taps inside. Also unlike solar power, which was the only source of electricity earlier, the new houses have power cables. There are some positives and some shortfalls, but overall it is good."

Got compensation

All the survivors and next of kin have received compensation announced by the State. Jagdish Pardhi, 25, lost five people from his family, including his mother Thami, 45, son Kiniya, 5, and three members, including his cousin Pankaj and his family. Pankaj's son Harshal, 11, is the sole survivor and the youngest to get a house, under the rehabilitation programme.

‘We need jobs'

Santosh Thakur, founder president of Gram Sanvardhan Samajik Sanstha, working for tribal welfare in Raigad district said, "Instead of 90 days, it took nearly 15 months to walk the talk for the state government. We appreciate the effort of the government, but it is disheartening, that affected youths have no job in their hands, even today. The state chief minister /Industry minister should take a personal interest in ensuring that they get a job at the earliest before the election code of conduct is announced, in the interest of the landslide survivors of Irsalwadi."

Official speak

Ayub Tamboli, Tehsildar, Khalapur, under whose jurisdiction the rehabilitated village fall, when called said, he was in a meeting and was unavailable for comment.