In a worrying development, three families comprising ten members were evacuated in Kulthi Chakka Kundi of Ramban district, Jammu and Kashmir, due to significant land subsidence and cracks in residential houses. This precautionary measure took effect following alarming reports on Monday.
The subsidence occurred in Tehsil Rajgarh near the Chenab River, causing widespread panic among the residents. This incident coincides with heavy rains that have recently plagued the region, further exacerbating concerns regarding the residents’ safety.
Officials swiftly dispatched administrative, revenue, and rescue teams to address the crisis, successfully relocating the affected families to safer locations.
Major Singh, Tehsildar of Rajgarh, confirmed that a non-residential building owned by Bhagat Ram was washed away completely. Additionally, several residential homes, including those of Chaat Ram, Chaman Lal, and Bhushan Lal, sustained damage from land subsidence over the past few days.
During a visit to the affected area, Singh collaborated with a team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to oversee the evacuation process. They provided temporary accommodation for the displaced families through tents.
Meanwhile, local authorities, including Naib Tehsildar and other officials, have established a presence in the village to monitor the situation closely.
However, villagers reported additional cracks and damage to numerous other houses, extending beyond the initially affected properties to those belonging to residents like Dev Raj, Hari Ram, Santosh Singh, Fallal Singh, and Shashram.
In response to the unfolding crisis, BJP Ramban district president Neelam Kumar Lange visited the impacted area. He called for immediate compensation and rehabilitation for the affected families, expressing his dissatisfaction with the absence of any minister or local representative from the National Conference at the scene. Lange emphasized the need for governmental assessment and support during such emergencies.
Local residents speculated that recent water discharges from the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project, triggered by the heavy rainfall, could have contributed to the ground’s instability. Nevertheless, officials indicated that the precise cause behind the land subsidence and resultant cracks still remains undetermined.
In an adjacent incident, one person—along with a sand-extraction boat—was swept away by the strong currents in the Chenab River near Pul Doda in Doda district on Monday morning. Fortunately, rescue efforts by the SDRF were successful in retrieving the individual. This worker, employed as an operator for the sand-extraction machine, worked for a private company responsible for the sand extraction contract in the vicinity.
Officials are currently engaged in efforts to recover the submerged machinery from the river, ensuring that safety measures are prioritized in light of these recent events.
