3 Families Evacuated After Land Subsidence Damages Houses in Ramban Village
3 families comprising 10 people were evacuated as a precautionary measure after land subsidence and cracks appeared in residential houses in a village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district, officials said on Monday. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
The incident was reported at Kulthi Chakka Kundi in Rajgarh tehsil, along the banks of the Chenab River. The sudden ground movement caused panic among local residents, particularly after recent heavy rainfall affected several parts of the district.
Administrative, revenue and rescue teams reached the affected village and shifted the families to safer locations.
Houses Damaged by Ground Movement
Tehsildar Rajgarh Major Singh said one non-residential structure belonging to Bhagat Ram was washed away, while cracks developed in the houses of Chaat Ram, Chaman Lal and Bhushan Lal following land subsidence over the past few days.
Singh visited the affected area along with a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team and supervised the evacuation of the families.
The affected residents have been provided with tents for temporary accommodation.
The Naib Tehsildar and other officials remain stationed in the village and are closely monitoring the situation, officials said.
More Houses Reportedly Affected
Local residents, however, reported cracks and damage to several other houses in the area, including those belonging to Dev Raj, Hari Ram, Santosh Singh, Fallal Singh and Shashram.
The reports have added to concerns among residents living close to the Chenab River, particularly following the recent spell of heavy rain.
BJP Ramban district president Neelam Kumar Lange also visited the affected area and demanded compensation and rehabilitation for the families affected by the land subsidence.
He also raised concerns over the absence of ministers or MLAs from the National Conference-led government at the site, alleging that no minister or MLA had visited the area to assess the situation.
Locals Raise Concerns Over Baglihar Water Releases
Some residents expressed concern that recent water releases from the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project, following heavy rainfall, may have contributed to ground instability in the area.
Officials, however, said the exact cause of the land subsidence and cracks has not yet been established.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the affected area and assess the extent of damage before determining further measures for the safety and rehabilitation of residents.
Person Rescued from Chenab River in Doda
In a separate incident in neighbouring Doda district, the SDRF rescued a person who was swept away by strong currents in the Chenab River near Pul Doda on Monday morning.
The rescued man was a non-local worker employed as an operator of a sand-extraction machine. Officials said he was working for a private company that had been awarded the contract for sand extraction in the area.
Efforts are currently underway to recover the machinery from the river.
