Mumbai has 44 highly vulnerable landslide spots, but most remain unattended

The spot where the landslide occurred in Kurla in the early hours of Wednesday. This area had not been identified by the Geological Survey of India as a highly vulnerable zone. PIC/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI

At least 44 highly vulnerable landslide-prone spots remain unattended across Mumbai, of which 38 are in the suburbs and six in the island city, leaving hundreds of citizens vulnerable.

These spots are among 249 landslide-prone spots identified across the city in 2018 in a survey conducted by the Geological Survey of India. This survey categorised 74 of these areas as vulnerable, 46 spots as highly vulnerable, and 129 as low-risk. However, the site of Wednesday's landslide in Kurla does not feature in the list of these most vulnerable spots.

A large percentage of these spots fall in the jurisdiction of the suburban district collector, so in 2021, the collector appointed IIT-B to assess these spots. The public works department in 2022-23 drafted a detailed project report to stabilise slopes in 40 landslide-prone spots in the suburbs and rehabilitate their residents.

In 2024 and 2025, BMC carried out works at two of the 46 highly vulnerable locations - Surya Nagar in Vikhroli and Sonia Gandhi Nagar in Aslfa, Kurla. At both these locations, geo-netting was carried out for slope stabilisation. While the work was recommended by the BMC, it was done by the MSRDC due to the agency's expertise in such work.

Uncertainty on funding due to multi-agency stakeholdership and rehabilitation of the people who live in areas that are highly vulnerable to landslides are impeding the stabilisation of such zones.

Why work is pending

A senior civic official privy to the issue said
‘The land is owned by the collector. On what basis can the BMC approach the land to carry out the work? The biggest challenge is rehabilitation of the population in the slope areas. In several places, it has been noticed that we may have to drill into slopes to install nets through the premises of households'

The biggest challenges

>> Rehabilitation of the population that lives in the area
>> Multi-agency stakeholdership, and hence uncertainty on funding the project

What action has BMC taken?

>> During his tenure, former civic chief Bhushan Gagrani wrote to the state government to refund money spent on works carried out at Surya Nagar and Sonia Gandhi Nagar. The letter was then followed up by his successor Ashwini Bhide.

>> The BMC has listed all 249 spots in flood preparedness guidelines and informed ward offices about their vulnerability

>> Regular awareness drives are held by BMC, urging residents of risky areas to move from the localities

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