PUNE: The Ambegaon tehsil administration allocated two acres on safe land to 34 tribal families living in Pasarwadi hamlet of Malin village to construct houses.
This hamlet on the edge of a hill experienced soil cracks last year raising concerns about another landslide. Its residents were anxious after the one in 2014 claimed 151 lives.
Ambegaon’s tehsildar Sanjay Nagtilak said, “The new plot is safe and suitable for constructing houses. We will give financial assistance through state and national welfare schemes and seek CSR funds to help the residents build homes.” Authorities said they will have water supply and electricity.
Digambar Bhalchim, former sarpanch of Malin and a resident of Pasarwadi hamlet, said, “It was crucial to relocate due to heavy rainfall. Recently, a large boulder fell on the road from the spot where cracks developed, and we are uncertain about the extent of internal damage. Villagers are fearful of another tragedy. The allocation of land plots provided significant relief for us,” he said.
Officials from the tehsil’s administration said after the Malin tragedy, Geological Survey of India conducted extensive surveys and identified Bendarwadi, Kalwadi I, Kalwadi II, and Pasarwadi as landslide-prone areas and recommended relocatioing of their residents.
“As many as 250 families had to be shifted to a safe location. This year, Pasarwadi villagers will relocate. Some 18 families already received houses under the Gharkul scheme. Construction will commence after the monsoon,” another official from the tehsil administration said.
The new location is two km away from the current one. “The plot was finalised after receiving the villagers’ consent. The purchase process took over a year to complete. Hence, we couldn’t relocate the villagers before this year’s monsoon,” Nagtilak said.
Villagers and local activists said they need basic services in the new hamlet. “We face a severe drinking water shortage during summer. The tehsil’s officials should construct an overhead tank to ensure supply throughout the year,” Malin activist Vijay Lembhe said.
Budhaji Damse, president of Shaswat, an NGO working for tribal communities, said the construction of a community hall, schools, and other facilities is necessary at the new location.
