Mumbai residents in landslide-prone areas like Vikhroli’s Parksite continue to live in their homes despite recurring warnings and the inherent risks, primarily due to a lack of affordable alternative housing in the expensive metropolis. Recent events, including a landslide in Vikhroli’s Parksite that destroyed several homes just before a building collapse in Mankhurd on July 5, have highlighted the persistent vulnerability of these communities.
These settlements often occupy steep slopes where former stone quarries are located, making them susceptible to landslides during the monsoon season. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has identified numerous such high-risk zones across Mumbai, with a significant concentration in the eastern suburbs like Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bhandup, and Mulund. Between 2017 and 2018, a GSI risk-assessment study declared 45 spots as highly sensitive, many of which are informal settlements inhabited by Lower Income Groups and marginalized communities.
The proximity of these homes to unstable hill slopes means that heavy rainfall can trigger slides of soil and stones, as seen in incidents where families have been buried and tragically lost their lives. In 2021 alone, 32 people died in a series of landslides in Chembur and Vikhroli. Official figures indicate that nearly 290 people have died in landslide-related incidents in Mumbai between 1990 and 2021, with approximately one lakh people currently residing in these high-risk areas.
Despite facing annual warnings from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to vacate their homes during the monsoon, residents express their inability to relocate. The city’s prohibitive real estate costs mean that for many, these settlements represent the only available housing, often built over decades by the families themselves. This sentiment is echoed by residents who state, “Risk is not a stranger to us,” reflecting a daily existence under the shadow of potential disaster.
The challenges extend beyond individual housing choices, encompassing broader issues of urban planning and governance. While authorities have undertaken measures such as constructing retaining walls in some vulnerable locations, activists and residents point to alleged negligence and a slow pace in implementing preventive actions and rehabilitation plans. In past incidents, notices have been issued for evacuation, with assurances of rehabilitation or construction of protective walls, but implementation has often lagged, leading to a recurring cycle of risk and tragedy.
The recurring nature of these landslides, often exacerbated by continuous rainfall, underscores the complex interplay of environmental factors and socio-economic realities in Mumbai. Unchecked construction and encroachments on hill slopes, coupled with the natural instability of the terrain, contribute to the growing number of landslide-prone areas. The exploitation of hills over the years has led to an increase in such identified zones, posing a continuous threat to the lives and livelihoods of thousands of Mumbaikars.
The Chenab Times News Desk