Four houses damaged as land sinks in Udhampur

Land subsidence hits Chenani village in Udhampur district, damaging houses and causing fear among villagers. Administration urged for help and evacuation plan in progress.

Following the recent incident of land subsidence in Ramban district’s Pernote village, a similar phenomenon has hit Chenani village of Udhampur district, where three to four houses were damaged causing fear among the villagers, who have turned to the administration for help.

A woman inside her house which developed cracks as the Tangdhar village experience gradual sinking in Udhampur. (ANI)

The land subsidence occurred in ward number 5 of Tandhar Panchayat in Chenani tehsil.

Rabri Devi, an elderly woman, whose house has developed big cracks, said, “The cracks started appearing 10 days ago and they kept increasing. We live in fear as the area has wild animals. A temple in the village has also collapsed due to land subsidence. The children have stopped going to school. We urge the administration to do something for us and provide us a house at a safe place.”

Addressing the issue, Chenani sub divisional magistrate Gurdev Kumar said, “Land subsidence has occurred in ward number 5 of Tandhar Panchayat where around 100 kanal land (12.5 acres) has been affected. Though 70% of it is forest land, three to four houses have been immediately affected by it.”

“I visited the affected village on Monday to take stock of the situation. A land is being identified for evacuation of the affected families and the higher authorities have been apprised,” he said.

The SDM informed that experts from the geology and mining department are being requisitioned to ascertain the triggers behind it and to analyse how much this phenomenon may extend.

“A rehab plan is being looked into. Only one has suffered extensive damage while there is no alarming situation for three others,” he said.

He also informed that free ration was also available and a Panchayat Ghar has also been identified for the affected families.

On April 25, a massive land subsidence in Pernote village damaged over 30 houses, 1000 metre road stretch between Ramban and Gool, uprooted three to four high tension electricity poles and a receiving station.

Frequent land subsidence in districts like Ramban and Doda and now in Udhampur in the fragile Himalayan region are being attributed to a multitude of factors including blasting and cutting of hills for roads and tunnels, proliferation of hydroelectric projects and murree formation of soil akin to Joshimath where sewerage water seepage into the ground cause land sinking.

It may be stated here that Jammu and Kashmir falls in Seismic Zone 4 and 5.