On July 30, 2014, a landslide in Malin near Pune buried 151 alive. Two years on, not much has changed despite tall promises and the plight of the villagers has only worsened
Pune: Two years ago, few people had heard of Malin, a tiny village at the foot of a hill in Pune district’s Ambegaon Taluka. On July 30, 2014, heavy rain sent the loose soil of the hill cascading on to the still sleeping village, almost flattening it and leaving 151 people dead. It sadly also put Malin on the map. Today, this village situated 140km from Pune and close to the Dimbhe dam, has become a tourist attraction. People visiting the Bhimashankar temple 30km away, make sure to stop by the village for macabre selfies — with the survivors, especially with the now 2-year-old Rudra, who as an infant was found in the debris after two days.
The hand pump that survived the landslide has become a relic today; Makeshift tin sheds have replaced the houses that were destroyed that day; Work under way for a monument for all 151 people who died in the landslide
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For the 100-odd villagers still living there, all this is extremely distressing. Tukaram Limbhe a school teacher, said, “So many people come here to take selfies and photographs. They are so insensitive that they seek out survivors and even our two-year-old Rudra.”
Laxman Ramji Zanjare (70), a retired defence man, said, "Our village was never a tourist spot but after the disaster, carloads of tourists have been coming here. We have to constantly patrol the village to prevent any nuisance by these tourists."
Praful Kothari, who owns Royals Car, a tourist car-hire business, said, "Tourists across Maharashtra as well as from Madhya Pradesh and UP who come to visit Bhimashankar want to stop at Malin village. We now have a package tour in which we include Malin village in the itinerary."
The situation for the villagers has only worsened since D-Day two years ago. Makeshift tin sheds have replaced some of the houses that were destroyed that day.
The lone school in the village, that escaped the landslide, is now a shed for domestic animals. The 11 children in the village study in a tin shed some distance away. Most of the other survivors have been rehabilitated in the nearby Asane village. However, the hill that destroyed the village is now covered in lush greenery, making for a beautiful view.
Ageing locals reminisce about the village before the landslide. Zanjare said, "This village used to be one of the wealthiest in the area. We used to regularly hold a fair here. Also, the school had begun the e-learning facility more than two years back. At the time, barely 1,000 people used to visit our village."
The village is unlikely to ever be rebuilt as the report by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has stated that the area is landslide-prone and the soil is too loose for permanent structures.
The government has now sanctioned Rs 60 lakh for a monument to the villagers who died there. Special stone is being brought here and the ground is being prepared for the monument that will have the names of all the 151 people who died. Work on it started in April this year.
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