Uttarakhand village has begun sliding downhill due to construction, seepage, warn geologists

The village is already situated on an old landslide area and has fragile terrain, with weak soil, having no hard rocks beneath. Road widening work and underground water sources that are seeping into the landmass beneath the village, weakening it is also resulting in slow sliding of the land.

Dar, the first village of Darma valley in Dharchula area of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district is gradually sliding down, endangering the lives of people living in the area, according to a team of geologists who surveyed the area.

Dar,a village of Darma valley in Dharchula area of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district is gradually sliding downhill with many houses getting damaged and developing cracks. (HT PHOTO.)

Pradeep Kumar, district geologist and leader of the team that surveyed the village on orders of the district administration said 35 families living in the village should be immediately shifted to a safer area as all the houses are slowly sliding down the hillside posing a risk to residents of the village.

Kumar said the reason for this is the widening work on the road stretch from Sobla to Tidang and underground water sources that are seeping into the landmass beneath the village, weakening it and resulting in slow sliding of the land.

“The village is already situated on an old landslide area and has fragile terrain, with weak soil, having no hard rocks beneath,” said Kumar.

Savita Devi, gram pradhan of Dar village had written to the administration, complaining that some houses in the village were sliding from their positions and many houses had been damaged and developed big cracks.

“On my complaint, the district administration sent a team of geologists to our village. We want families in our area be immediately shifted to safer places as a disaster is just waiting to happen,” said Savita Devi.

AK Shukla, sub-divisional magistrate Dharchula said on receiving the complaint of houses sliding in the area, he immediately sent a team of geologists, led by chief district geologist Pradeep Kumar.

“We will take further action in the matter after we receive the survey report of the team of geologists,” said Shukla.

Kumar said that the landmass of the village is continuously sliding as it is located on the debris of landslides that took place in the surrounding hills nearly 200 years ago.