A land subsidence in Kotli Kalaban village of Rajouri district has caused cracks in houses and commercial establishments prompting the district administration to shift two families to safety, said officials on Monday.
Besides houses, cattle sheds, roads and agricultural fields in around 100 kanals (12.5 acre) of area have developed the cracks, said Ramesh Kumar, a local, attributing it to the underway road widening and excavation work. “There are houses, farm land, grazing land and road, which have developed big cracks. While one shop has been completely damaged, two other business establishments have also developed cracks in walls and roofs,” said Kumar.
“Impending monsoon would further aggravate the situation. We want the administration to do something for us on war footing,” he added.
The cracks, which began appearing on Saturday, widened at several locations, raising concern among residents. Two houses developed big cracks in walls and floors, rendering them unsafe for habitation.
An official informed that Rajouri district commissioner, Abhishek Sharma visited the affected village on Monday. He also deputed a team of revenue officials led by assistant commissioner revenue (ACR) Jahangir Khan and tehsildar Mazhar Ali.
{{/usCountry}}An official informed that Rajouri district commissioner, Abhishek Sharma visited the affected village on Monday. He also deputed a team of revenue officials led by assistant commissioner revenue (ACR) Jahangir Khan and tehsildar Mazhar Ali.
{{/usCountry}}However, the two officials, in their prima facie assessment, found that land subsidence has occurred outside the Right of Way (ROW) of the National Highway.
As a precautionary measure, the district administration evacuated the affected families and assured them of all necessary assistance and support. “A government school building has been identified to shift more families, if needed,” said the official.
The official also possibly attributed the phenomenon to road-widening activities in the area.