Sep 30, a 'black day' in lives of Maha quake survivors

Every year, residents of Killari village in Maharashtra's Latur district observe a 'black day' on September 30.

This was the day when a devastating earthquake struck the Latur-Osmanabad region 25 years ago, killing around 10,000 people and injuring several others.

Although so much time has passed, people are still coming to terms with life and some are even waiting for compensation for damages suffered in the massive disaster.

The tragedy dealt a double blow to farm labourer Tanaji Suryavanshi, who not only lost several family members, including his 10-year-old son, but also had to part with his 6.5 acre farm which was taken away by the government for re-settling the survivors.

The villager, who is in his 50s and lives in a tin- roofed hut in Killari with his wife and a 13-year-old son, said he never got financial compensation or an alternate land.

He is now also debt-ridden since he borrowed money for his daughter's marriage, but is living in the hope that he would get a house and compensation.

"September 30 is a 'black day' for Killari and the entire village shuts down that day to mark the anniversary of the tragedy," Suryavanshi said.

Recalling the tragedy, he said, "I was at the Ganesh 'visarjan' (immersion) procession when the quake struck. I rushed home immediately only to find my stone-made house reduced to rubble."
Madhukar Chavan, the five-term Congress MLA from Tuljapur in the neighbouring Osmanabad which also bore the brunt of the quake, said, "A lot of help came but the wounds never healed even as survivors tried to move on in life."