Finally, the Raigad district administration, on Monday, officially ended the rescue operation at Taliye village, where a landslide had taken place. So far, 53 have been declared dead and 31 are missing. Villagers, who are struggling to cope up with the situation, have asked the administration to stop the rescue operation and declare the 31 people missing as dead. They also sought help to get the death certificates and complete other formalities.
“The rescue operation officially ended. The rescue teams, comprising NDRF and SDRF, have been withdrawn from Taliye. The 31 missing people will be declared dead following due process. The relatives of the missing people have been demanding to stop the operations since yesterday. After seeking the opinion of NDRF and SDRF and in respect of the sentiments of the survivors and relatives of the missing people, the rescue operation was officially called off,” said a senior officer from the Raigad district administration.
The state government has already announced Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin and free treatment to those injured in the landslide.
State to construct a coastal protection wall at the cost of Rs 1,600 crore:
In the wake of natural calamities, including heavy rainfall, cyclones and floods, the state government has decided to construct a protection wall in five coastal districts, including Ratnagiri, Raigad, Sindhudurg, Thane and Palghar. This will be done on the lines of Kerala.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who held the meeting with senior ministers and officers on Monday, directed the administration to take necessary steps in this regard. The government hopes that with the construction of a protection wall, the sea water will not enter the villages and hamlets during high tide and on rainy days. About 171 km of protection will be constructed covering five coastal districts.
Further, Thackeray asked the administration to put in place an alert mechanism and prepare a proposal for compensation and aid to be provided to flood-hit villagers. He made a strong case for the installation of a real-time decision support system in the Konkan region in the next three months to forecast floods and disseminate warnings. He announced that the government will rehabilitate villages impacted by the landslides on a priority basis.
State announces Rs 10,000 each to flood victims:
Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar, on Monday, announced an immediate assistance of Rs 10,000 per family affected by floods. In addition, Rs 5,000 will also be given to those whose foodgrains have perished. “We have decided to deposit Rs 10,000 per family in the flood victims' accounts and assistance worth Rs 5,000 in kind, that is distribution of food grains,” he noted. Wadettiwar said the government has ordered that no technical difficulties should be cited during the release of aid.
