The Raigad District Administration failed to gauge the severity of the landslide in Khalapur that claimed 27 lives. Fifty seven villagers are still missing from Irshawadi tribal village, say disaster management experts. By the time, the rescue team and resources reached the site, the golden hour had already elapsed, they claimed.
In a landslide or a house collapse, the rescue of people trapped depends upon the response time, says Prabhat Rahangdale, former chief fire officer of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
“As time goes on after an incident, the chances of survival decrease,” said Rahangdale, adding that in the case of the Irshawadi landslide in Khalapur, it took hours for the agencies to reach the site and start rescue operation. “Since the terrain was tough, they could not take equipment and machinery and the operation became tough,” said Rahangdale. He added that depending only on the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) for such disasters is not advisable. “Since NDRF bases are limited and it will take time for them to reach and start operation, the local agencies like the fire brigade should be strengthened to handle such situations in the golden hours and save lives,” he said.
The incident site is hardly 80 km from Mumbai and the tribal village did not have a proper road or even an electricity supply. Rajeev Mishra, a civic activist says that it is unfortunate that tribals are not given importance by local administration. “Landslide is common in hilly areas during heavy rainfall in monsoon. As a precautionary measure, the district administration should have already relocated them instead of waiting for a disaster,” said Mishra.
Hill settlements are always vulnerable
NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar says that it is wrong to say that the hill has not been on the list of potential fissure sites as per the Geological Survey of India (GSI) report. “It is a known fact that a settlement on the hill is considered vulnerable,” said Kumar. He added that the army should also have been called in since they have the expertise in handling such situations in hilly terrains.
Technology can aid in disaster management
“Today, we have drone and satellite technology at our disposal. The government and district administrations must make use of them. Otherwise, what’s the point in developing technology that is of no help in crisis situations,” he said.
On the contrary, Rahangdale says that NDRFs are given special training to handle such situations and they are also provided with the equipment. “Since the terrain was difficult, machinery could not be taken there, strengthening local district disaster management is one of the solutions,” he said.
