Mumbai: Landslide in Bhandup has 150 families on the edge

The landslide damaged six houses. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

Even as the Irsalwadi landslide rescue dominates news reports, a landslide in Bhandup on Saturday has had 150 families living there in fear. Part of a retaining wall at Hanuman Nagar, Bhandup West slid down the hill damaging six homes. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) asked that 28 houses be vacated for
safety reasons.

Residents of Kallappa chawl at Hanuman Nagar felt the landslide on Saturday noon and early morning on Sunday. Some of them had to leave their houses fearing further collapse. The BMC has covered the portion that fell with tarpaulin to avoid the rain loosening the soil leading to further landslide. Residents fear another landslide could be fatal, judging by the heavy rain currently.

‘BMC did not maintain wall'

Suresh Shinde, 24. lives with his parents and siblings at the chawl. "I was born and brought up here. The BMC had constructed the retaining wall for the safety of the residents but did not maintain it. There are some on the hill that have been loosened. We had written to the BMC to cut them as if they get uprooted, this will cause further damage. But they never paid any attention resulting in the landslide," he said.

Datta Pawar, a peon at a Sion school hasn't gone to work since the incident, as when the wall collapsed, it blocked the entrance to his home.

"Except for clothes for few days and some utensils, I had to leave everything in my home. Had the BMC paid attention to this area, this mishap would have been averted. I built my house brick by brick but now I can't go inside" he said.

Other residents affected

The houses were built on the collector's land and have been rented to the residents. Kallappa chawl has around 100 houses. There are also 40 houses below the chawl called society, whose residents are also living in fear. Pooja Jadhav, one of the residents here, said, "Our family has 12 houses in the society but due to the landslide we had to leave our houses and live at a relative's place. What were the authorities doing when the chawl spread? Now for no fault of ours we have become homeless."

Nilesh Jagtap, another resident of the society, said, "The BMC didn't build a nullah or outlet for the water. Also, any repairs of the retaining wall should have happened before the monsoon. Now authorities say they can't do anything till the end of monsoon. What is our fault in this? Who will pay the rent for alternative accommodation for us?"

Mahadeo Shinde, assistant commissioner S ward said, "The collapse of part of the retaining wall followed with a landslide occurred on the weekend. As a safety measure we have asked residents to vacate their houses. We had arranged accommodation in a BMC school for them and provided food as well but many of them have chosen to shift to their relatives homes."

BMC officials on Thursday evening visited the spot along with jawans of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The jawans opined that no construction can be carried out at this point of time as any jolt to the wall can result in another landslide and further damage of other houses. NDRF advised BMC to carry out repair work post monsoon but to keep a close eye on the retaining wall on a day-to-day basis.

28
No. of houses BMC wants to vacate for safety