CIDCO to lay ₹20 crore net to prevent landslides in Uran hill
CIDCO has assured residents of Varche Ovale village in Navi Mumbai that it will allocate ₹20 crore to lay a safety net atop a hill to prevent rocks from rolling down and posing a threat to the residents. This comes after repeated instances of tumbling rocks and mudslides in the area. CIDCO will invite tender bids for a metal safety net that is estimated to be 300 wide and 10 meters long.
Navi Mumbai
In a relief to 700 families from Varche Ovale village residing underneath a 10 m hill in Pushpak node in Uran, CIDCO has assured the residents that it will allocate ₹20 crore to lay a safety net atop the hill areas to check loosened rocks rolling down.
“The plan is to secure the hill area by laying metal nets so that even if there are instances of rocks crumbling, it will not pose any threat to the residents. By Monday, the tender bids will be invited for providing a 300 wide and 10 meter long metal safety net, which is estimated to cost 20 crore,” said an official from CIDCO.
Repeated instances of tumbling rocks and mudslides that occurred in the area had created a major unrest amongst the residents of sector 1 Pushpak Node. The residents comprise project affected persons (PAPs) from Ovale village as part of rehabilitation scheme by CIDCO for developing the international airport. “There are two sectors created by cutting the hill area to provide housing for the Navi Mumbai airport affected. The buildings constructed closer to the hill are living in fear of rocks falling onto them,” said a resident and advocate Vikrant Gharat.
The action committee of 27 Villages had persistently demanded that CIDCO undertake a rock fall mitigation plan. The rocks would impact the nine-meter approach road leading to the node. Additionally the node also faced multiple instances of landslides added to residents’ concerns.
“This monsoon itself there were two back-to-back instances of landslides on July 8 and July 19 wherein almost three feet mud from neighboring forest land had swept into the residential area. Residents almost feared a repeat of Irshalwadi. Amongst the various issues raised by the committee, the placing of safety nets on the mountain has now been addressed,” said Gharat who is the spokesperson for the Samiti.
Meanwhile CIDCO was informed of having asked the forest department to look into the reason for the landslide. “Our rockfall mitigation plan is happening as planned but the issue regarding landslide was due to illegal excavation that was observed in the forest land wherein almost 20 feet mud was excavated and resulted in landslide during heavy rainfall. We have raised the matter with the forest and are awaiting their response,” said the official.
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