In the wake of landslide incident at Irshalwadi, officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) disaster cell along with a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) carried out a pre-emptive survey in some of the landslide-prone areas in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai. According to the civic body’s figures, there are 74 landslide prone areas in Mumbai, which are natural hillocks and elevated parcels of lands. Out of these, 37 are located in Kurla, Mankhurd, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg and Mulund in the eastern suburbs. The slopes of these hills have slums and shanties and during the monsoon the steep elevation poses imminent threat to the people living there. Civic officials on Thursday morning visited several sites in Vikhroli, Ghatkopar and Kurla for carrying out a pre-emptive study of any possible landslide like situation. The officials said that some of the structures that seemed to be in a dangerous condition were also evacuated by them. “Following the heavy rainfall, we carried out an inspection of these areas. Few residential structures were vacated at the Park Site in Ghatkopar (East) where close to hundred people stayed in slums situated at the hillock. The heavy rains increase the possibility of mudslides. Therefore, our target is to remove all the structures that could possibly fall in the line of collapse,” Gajanan Bellale, Assistant Municipal Commissioner told The Indian Express on Thursday. Bellale said that the NDRF has been kept on standby as a precautionary measure and temporary housing arrangements have also been made for those living in these vulnerable spots. Civic officials said that during the survey the roots of existing trees in the areas were also examined to predict chances of any tree-collapse incident along with finding traces of loose soil or possibility of rockslide movement. Every year, ahead of monsoon the BMC officials visit the landslide prone areas at the ward level and carry out sensitization campaigns. Civic officials said that most of these slums and shanties have been erected on collector’s land and therefore, the civic body doesn’t have any authority to evict them. “On Friday we will carry out a similar campaign in the western suburbs and the disaster cell has alerted all the ward offices to carry out site inspection of landslide prone areas that currently exist within their jurisdiction,” an official from the disaster cell said. In the Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP) report, released in the first half of 2022, it was pointed out that rainfall induced landslides is a common phenomenon in Mumbai considering the complex topography and heavy amount of torrential rains that this place records. In August 2021, two incidents of landslides were reported in Mahul and Vikhroli which claimed the lives of 29 persons.
