Mumbai: BMC has started efforts to evacuate families living in the landslide-prone Ashok Nagar area of Ghatkopar West, where eight people were killed and seven others injured in a landslide earlier this week on Aug 12.According to BMC officials, the civic body has managed to persuade around 25 to 50 families to vacate the vulnerable area. However, assistant municipal commissioner of BMC’s L ward Anil Jadhav said attempts were also made to move several other families, but they refused to leave, preferring to continue living in the area rather than shift to an alternative location.“We have repeatedly requested residents to vacate the area as it is landslide-prone. However, many have refused and prefer to stay there. This is not the first time that we are requesting them. Before the monsoon, we had placed boards in their area stating that it was a landslide-prone area and they shouldn’t continue to live there,” Jadhav said, adding that BMC has written to the district collector and Airports Authority of India, as the land on which the settlement is located belongs to them. A decision on further action will be taken based on directions from senior officials.For families willing to move out, the civic body has arranged temporary accommodation at Mohili School in Sakinaka, where night shelters have been provided to several families who agreed to vacate the vulnerable site.BMC has been repeatedly warning residents living in the area about the risk posed by the unstable terrain and urging them to relocate. However, officials said a section of residents has consistently declined to move despite the repeated requests.The landslide in Ashok Nagar earlier this week claimed seven lives and left seven others injured, leading the civic administration to intensify efforts to relocate families living in vulnerable pockets. Mumbai had around 279 landslide-prone areas across its 26 administrative wards.
