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Families live in fear as houses in Mohali village develop cracks
Singh has taken a loan for his house and is now worried about its stability and the safety of his family.
The fear of house collapse plagues three families in Mauli Baidwan in Sector 80 as the lane in front of their houses was washed away by the seasonal rivulet N-choe as it overflowed during the recent heavy rains, endangering the structures.
Rajinder Singh, a safai karamchari in phase 10, Mohali, and his family were rudely awakened by a roar at 2 am on Tuesday to find the lane in front of their house gone. “I heard a sound and rushed outside to find a part of the lane missing and cracks in the house,” he said.
Singh has taken a loan for his house and is now worried about its stability and the safety of his family.
“We are still living in the house as we have nowhere to go. Even a slight sound wakes me and the first thing I do is drag my sleeping children out of the house,” added his wife Geeta, who works as domestic help.
Chotu Singh, a labourer and Rajinder Singh’s neighbour, said, “It is difficult to move around, especially for children who could fall in this gorge created by the landslide and get injured.”
“The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority is laying pipes in the choe that is obstructing the flow of water, which has damaged the lane. Now mud is being dumped on the pipes, which is likely to pose a bigger threat to the village. We will not allow it. This family had taken a loan. Who will compensate them for the damaged house?” asked Avtar Singh Mauli, member of the block samiti.
Mohali deputy commissioner Gurpreet Sapra said she has sought a complete record of encroachments along the choe, an area where illegal construction was rampant.
