On Saturday, 22nd July 2023, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) announced that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will provide support and adopt the children who lost both parents in the devastating landslide at Irshalwadi village in Raigad district.
The Irshalwadi landslide, which occurred on Wednesday, 19th July 2023, resulted in a heart-wrenching death toll of 22. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been tirelessly conducting search and rescue operations in the affected area.
In the wake of this tragedy, CM Eknath Shinde expressed deep concern for the orphaned children and took a compassionate step to adopt them. “In the Irshalwadi landslide, several kids have lost both parents. CM Eknath Shinde has announced to adopt these kids and become their guardian. The CM has declared that these orphaned kids, aged 2 to 14 years, will be taken care of by the Shrikant Shinde Foundation,” stated the Shiv Sena.
Mangesh Chivte, OSD to CM Eknath Shinde said, “All the expenses on education and other things will be occurred through Shrikant Shinde foundation run by CM Eknath Shinde’s son. An FD (Fixed deposit) will be made for each kid to fund their education.”
This landslide occurred in Irshalwadi village near Irshalgad. However, there is no paved road to reach that place. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde walked for one-and-a-half hours to reach the accident site on 20th July 2023.
During his visit to the site of the tragedy on Thursday, the chief minister assessed the ongoing relief and rescue efforts and extended an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakhs to the families of the deceased, providing financial support in their time of grief.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also talked to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to express his condolences and solidarity. He assured CM Eknath Shinde that four National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were deployed to efficiently handle the rescue operations.
As the nation mourns the loss of lives and grapples with the aftermath of the unfortunate landslide, the compassionate gesture of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister to adopt the orphaned children appears as a beacon of hope and support in these trying times. The Shrikant Shinde Foundation’s efforts to ensure their well-being and education bring a ray of light to the lives of these young souls who have endured an unimaginable tragedy.
