2014 Malin landslide explained

2014 Malin landslide
Date:30 July 2014
Place:Malin, Ambegaon taluka, Pune District, Maharashtra, India
Coordinates:19.1611°N 73.6883°W
Cause:Landslide due to heavy rain
Reported Deaths:151[1]
Reported Missing:100[2]
Reported Property Damage:40 houses

On 30 July 2014, a landslide occurred in the village of Malin in the Ambegaon taluka of the Pune district in Maharashtra, India. The landslide, which hit early in the morning while residents were asleep,[3] was believed to have been caused by a burst of heavy rainfall, and killed at least 151 people.[4] Rains continued after the landslide making rescue efforts difficult.

Cause

The landslides were caused after heavy rainfall that had begun the previous day, with the village receiving 1080NaN0 of rain on 29 July and continuing throughout the following day. The environmental destruction that resulted in the landslide is believed to have had many causes. The major cause was the negligence of geological facts before any developmental process. Another cause cited as contributing to the landslide was deforestation in the area. Deforestation removes not only trees but also root structures that hold together the soil. Through deforestation, the soil of the surrounding land was made loose, and experts argue that deforestation was the primary undelaying anthropogenic cause of the landslide.[5] One additional reason was changing agricultural practices villagers had recently shifted from cultivation of rice and finger millet to wheat, which required leveling of steep areas, which contributed to the instability of the hills. Also, the construction of the nearby Dimbhe Dam ten years ago was considered as a possible reason. The instability of the hillsides was due to the construction activities, which are often done without careful analysis of environmental consequences.[6] Stone quarrying, among other types of construction, was specifically blamed by Sumaira Abdulali of the Awaaz Foundation, for the instability of the hillside.[7]

Casualties

Although initial reports stated that the landslide had killed 17 people, officials expected the death toll to exceed 150.[8] As of 4 August 2014, the death toll had reached 134. The bodies so far recovered were of 50 men, 64 women and 20 children.[9] Later estimates indicated more than 160 people, and possibly up to 200.[10] About 44 to 46 separate houses were believed to have been buried in the landslide.[11]

Management

The landslide was first noticed by a bus driver who drove by the area and saw that the village had been overrun with mud and earth. Emergency services, including 378 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force, were mobilized to the area, and 8 victims had been rescued from the landslide prior to the evening of 30 July.[12] Nevertheless, rescue efforts had been hampered by poor road conditions and continuing rains.[13] Authorities have also expressed pessimism about the possibility of recovering any of the trapped people alive.[12] As of 31 July, 22 people had been rescued alive from the landslide.[14] On 4 August, the survivors of the landslide were ordered by the district administration to move out of Malin.[15] Apart from the Security Forces, members of voluntary organizations and locals also helped in rescue operations. On 7 August, rescue operations officially drew to a close, with the final death toll estimate resting at 151.[16]

Reactions

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Malin landslide toll mounts to 136 . . 5 August 2014 . 5 August 2014 . 7 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200907165009/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/malin-village-landslide-disaster-toll-climbs/article6283367.ece?ref=sliderNews . live .
  2. Web site: At least 30 dead after landslide buries Indian village . . 31 July 2014 . 31 July 2014 . Associated Press.
  3. Web site: 30 July 2014 . Indian landslide: more than dozens trapped in Pune village of Malin . https://web.archive.org/web/20240730004900/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28559617 . 30 July 2024 . 30 July 2014 . BBC News.
  4. Web site: Four years and many surveys later, disaster prevention work yet to begin in 20 'landslide-prone' villages. Rashid. Atikh. 2018-12-08. The Indian Express. en-IN. 2019-07-28. 20 August 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240820014333/https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/four-years-and-many-surveys-later-disaster-prevention-work-yet-to-begin-in-20-landslide-prone-villages-5483994/. live.
  5. Web site: The real reason for Pune village landslide: Forest was cleared for a govt scheme. Firstpost. August 2014. en-US. 2016-03-01. 20 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170620113603/http://www.firstpost.com/india/truth-behind-pune-village-landslide-deforestation-for-a-govt-scheme-1642715.html. live.
  6. News: Mazoomdaar. Jay. Is India's construction boom behind Pune village landslide?. 1 August 2014. BBC News. BBC. 31 July 2014.
  7. News: Indian media: Deforestation behind deadly Pune landslide. 1 August 2014. BBC News. BBC. 31 July 2014. 1 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140801060316/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-28578939. live.
  8. Web site: Landslide kills 17 in Indian village . . 30 July 2014 . 30 July 2014 . AAP.
  9. Web site: Malin, Day 6: Body count reaches 134. 5 August 2014. The Indian Express. 5 August 2014. 5 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140805084900/http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/malin-day-6-body-count-reaches-134/. live.
  10. Web site: India landslide: Rescuers race to find survivors in Pune village as toll rises. 31 July 2014. BBC News India. 31 July 2014. 31 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140731165636/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-28578864. live.
  11. Web site: Major landslide hits Pune village; at least 17 dead, over 160 feared trapped. 30 July 2014. The Indian Express. 30 July 2014. 30 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140730110407/http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/landslide-in-pune-village-over-100-trapped/. live.
  12. Web site: 17 dead, 158 feared trapped in landslide near Pune, rescue operations on . The Times of India . 30 July 2014 . 30 July 2014 . Jain, Bharti . 30 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140730182920/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/17-dead-158-feared-trapped-in-landslide-near-Pune-rescue-operations-on/articleshow/39307767.cms . live .
  13. Web site: Rain-triggered landslide buries homes in remote Indian village, killing at least 17 . U.S. News & World Report . 30 July 2014 . 30 July 2014 . AP . Associated Press .
  14. Web site: Pune Landslide Survivor Fears Family is Buried Under a Mass of Mud . . 31 July 2014 . 31 July 2014 . Acharya, Nupur . 10 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140810201452/http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/07/31/pune-landslide-survivor-fears-family-is-buried-under-a-mass-of-mud/ . live .
  15. Web site: Malin landslide survivors asked to relocate . https://web.archive.org/web/20140804221307/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/malin-no-longer-safe-to-live-in-landslide-survivors-move-out/article1-1248190.aspx . dead . 4 August 2014 . Hindustan Times . 4 August 2014 . 4 August 2014 . Joshi, Yogesh.
  16. Web site: Banerjee, Shoumojit . 7 August 2014 . Malin landslide: Rescue operations draw to a close . 10 August 2014 . The Hindu . 7 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200907160637/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/malin-landslide-rescue-operations-draw-to-a-close/article6291570.ece . live .
  17. Web site: 30 July 2014 . PM Narendra Modi directs Rajnath Singh to rush to landslide-hit spot in Pune . https://web.archive.org/web/20230828005720/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pm-narendra-modi-directs-rajnath-singh-to-rush-to-landslide-hit-spot-in-pune/articleshow/39305788.cms . 28 August 2023 . 30 July 2014 . . Press Trust of India.
  18. Web site: Pune landslide: Sharad Pawar terms incident 'unfortunate' . . 30 July 2014 . 30 July 2014.
  19. Web site: Malin Disaster . . 31 July 2014 . 2 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140808053755/http://cpim.org/content/malin-disaster . 8 August 2014 . dead .

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