Navi Mumbai: Three years after the devastating Irshalwadi landslide claimed 141 lives, 53 families are still awaiting death certificates for relatives whose bodies were never recovered. While death certificates have already been issued for 27 victims whose remains were identified, the process for those who remain missing is now being expedited, Khalapur Tehsildar Abhay Chavan said.
The landslide that struck Irshalwadi village in Khalapur taluka on the night of July 19, 2023, is among Maharashtra's deadliest natural disasters. Triggered by incessant rainfall, a massive portion of the hillside collapsed around 11 pm, burying homes under tonnes of mud and debris. Rescue operations were severely hampered by heavy rain, dense fog, steep terrain and the absence of a motorable road to the remote tribal hamlet. Despite extensive efforts by local villagers, the district administration, volunteers, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF), several victims remained trapped beneath the debris and their bodies could never be recovered.
The first alert was raised by a villager who informed the local administration shortly after the landslide. Revenue officials, doctors, volunteers and villagers trekked to the site overnight and began rescue operations manually using torches, shovels, pickaxes and other basic tools, as heavy machinery and helicopters could not be deployed because of the terrain and adverse weather. Around 100 NDRF personnel and 25 TDRF members joined the operation in the early hours of July 20, but continuous rain and the risk of further landslides forced rescuers to eventually suspend excavation in parts of the site.
According to official records, the disaster affected 228 people from 41 families. Of these, 219 were residents of Irshalwadi and nine were people from outside the village. Among the Irshalwadi residents, 27 were officially declared dead, 53 remain missing and 139 survived. The affected population comprised 118 men and 120 women, and the tragedy left 22 children orphaned.
The landslide also caused widespread damage to livestock and property. The Animal Husbandry Department recorded that 111 livestock were affected. Nine animals died, 20 went missing and 83 survived. The affected livestock included 23 cows, 38 bullocks, 23 calves and 27 goats. Revenue officials assessed damage to 49 houses, of which 32 were completely destroyed and 17 partially damaged. Twenty-four cattle sheds were also damaged in the disaster.
According to official records, 27 victims were declared dead after their bodies were recovered and identified, while 57 others remained missing. Although compensation and rehabilitation benefits were extended to all eligible families, only the 27 recovered victims have been issued death certificates so far. As a result, 53 families are still awaiting the legal documents for their missing relatives.
Explaining the delay, Chavan said that under normal procedure, a gram panchayat can issue a death certificate within one year of a death. After that period, the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the judiciary.
"In this case, the judiciary declined to issue the certificates, following which the responsibility came to the tehsildar's office. We have now initiated the process by issuing public notices and advertisements. Normally, a missing person can be declared dead only after seven years. However, in the Irshalwadi case, it is evident that those who remain untraced were buried under the landslide," Chavan said.
He added that the administration would prepare a common panchnama for all 57 missing persons to facilitate the issuance of death certificates.
"It was impossible to continue excavation beyond a certain point because of the risks involved and the limitations of heavy machinery. We are holding a meeting this week to move the process forward. My target is to complete the entire procedure within a month and issue the orders for the pending death certificates," he said.
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Chavan clarified that the delay in issuing death certificates has not affected government assistance to the affected families. Under the SDRF and NDRF norms, compensation was disbursed to the families of all deceased and missing victims, while additional financial assistance was provided through the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. The administration also provided temporary shelter, community kitchens, medical care, counselling, replacement of lost documents, pensions for orphaned children and widows, compensation for livestock losses and permanent rehabilitation for all affected families.
Following the disaster, the state rehabilitated all 43 affected families at a newly developed settlement in Chowk-Manivali, where permanent houses equipped with basic civic amenities were handed over in October 2024. Employment opportunities and skill-development programmes, including tailoring and candle-making training, were also initiated for survivors through government departments, industries and voluntary organisations.
Chavan said beneficiaries are able to access the compensation amount after obtaining permission from the tehsildar's office.
"Since most of the affected families belong to the tribal community, we ensure that the money is withdrawn only for constructive purposes such as education, marriage or other essential needs before granting permission," he said.
With the administration now expediting the legal process, families who have spent three years waiting for official recognition of their loved ones' deaths are expected to receive the pending death certificates within the next month, bringing long-awaited legal closure to one of Maharashtra's worst landslide tragedies.
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