Landslide Threat: Pune and Satara Villages to Be Temporarily Relocated Before Monsoon

Pune, 18th June 2024: Satara and Pune districts in the Pune Division (Western Maharashtra) have the most landslide-prone villages. Two villages in the Pune district and four villages in the Satara district are particularly at risk of landslides during the monsoon season. Consequently, the administration has decided to temporarily relocate the residents of these villages during the rainy season.

In preparation for the monsoon, the administration has categorized landslide-prone villages into sensitive, highly sensitive, and preventive measures categories. Measures are being taken in Kondhari and Dhanivali in Bhor Taluka, Pune. Additionally, Ambeghar, Dhokawale, Shidrukwadi, and Jinti villages in Patan Taluka, Satara, will be relocated before the monsoon.

Preventive measures will be implemented to prevent landslides in the rest of the villages. At a meeting presided over by Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Guardian Minister of Pune District, Ajit Pawar, Divisional Commissioner Dr. Chandrakant Pulkundwar informed that disaster management workers have been trained in villages prone to floods due to monsoons. Instructions have been given regarding improvements and vigilance on railway lines and roads passing through every district of Western Maharashtra.

Villagers in landslide-prone areas face risks every year during the rainy season. There has been a demand for rehabilitation at government sites. Some villages have suggested private sites for relocation, while the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has recommended the immediate rehabilitation of two villages in the Pune district and four in Satara. As a result, the locals of these villages will be relocated immediately before the monsoon. Disaster management workers have been trained in these villages. Dr. Pulkundwar also stated that various departments such as Water Resources, Public Works, Animal Husbandry, Public Health, Agriculture, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), Railways, Cooperation and Registrar, Telecommunication, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), and Police have been instructed to coordinate with each other and plan accordingly.