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Nandurbar collector walks 10 km to inaccessible village, assures rehab

Nashik: The villagers of Tinasmal have been urging the government to be relocated to a better location. The recent rains have made matters worse for the village, located in a remote part of Dhadgaon taluka. Their only road link, which was under construction, has been completely destroyed.

And in a development that's being seen as a big step towards the village's relocation, Nandurbar collector Rajendra Bharud (WHEN?) walked 10 km to reach the village.

Bharud was joined by additional district collector Dileep Jagdale, resident deputy collector Anil Pawar, sub divisional officer Lakshmikant Satalkar, the deputy conservator of forests, SB Kavte, tahsildar Rajesh Thote and agriculture officer Bapu Gavit.

“This is a remote village in Dhadgaon taluka. Its residents have been pleading with us for better inclusion through re-settlement. But since the government does not have any schemes for such a rehabilitation, we are currently exploring the possibility of assistance from private organisations or charitable trusts who could contribute some funds,” Bharud, who comes from a tribal family in Dhule, said.

The collector said the remoteness of the village was extreme. He said villagers have had to travel 50 km by road to reach the gram panchayat office. Healthcare is a concern too. The nearest primary health centre is eight kilometres away. Pregnant women are often taken there on makeshift stretchers.

“For supplies, the nearest market is a 21-km trip - up and down. Residents of the village have been demanding they be resettled to a location closer to a major town, for better education, medical assistance and employment opportunities. We have now decided to take a consent form - for relocation - from each of the 70 families in the village, scattered over a five sqkm area,” Bharud said.

Tinasmal is the only village along the road from Dhadgaon. Neighbouring villages, which were inundated in the floodwater from the Sardar Sarovar dam, have already been relocated. The 13-km road that was being built at the cost of Rs 7 crore - under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana - was 70% completed when the monsoon struck.

“The intense rain triggered landslides that damaged many parts of the road. Rebuilding it will be an expensive affair,” resident deputy Collector, Anil Pawar, said.

A relocation, the officials said, could help in many ways.

“So instead of wasting huge sums of money to repair infrastructure that's at the mercy of the weather, we could use the funds to create a new gaothan. The relocated villagers in turn can give up their 178 hectares of forest land, under the Forest Rights Act, to the forest department. And a formula for annual remuneration for landowners can be devised,” Bharud said.

The collector said that he has already ordered panchanamas detailing damage to farms, homes and crops for adequate compensation.

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