Mastari village in Uttarakhand has once again encountered the distressing issue of land subsidence, as heavy rains in the area led to wide cracks appearing in the roads and walls of several homes. Located approximately 300 km from Joshimath, which faced a similar situation earlier this year, Mastari finds itself grappling with the concerning repercussions of this recurring problem.
Satyanarayan Semwal, the head of Mastari, conveyed his concern to the PTI news agency, highlighting that the issue of land subsidence has plagued the village for some time. However, the recent rainfall on Saturday exacerbated the situation, causing the existing cracks in people’s homes to widen further. To the villagers’ alarm, water began seeping out of the crevices, intensifying the sense of panic.
Semwal expressed his disappointment, claiming that the authorities have not accorded sufficient attention to Mastari despite the continuous landslides in the village. He emphasized the urgent need for action, as the safety and well-being of the villagers are at stake.
Promptly responding to the distressing situation, the quick response team from the disaster management authority swiftly arrived in the village to assess the extent of the cracks. They urged the villagers to remain vigilant and attentive to any developments.
The issue of land subsidence in Mastari originated after the devastating earthquake in Uttarkashi in October 1991, which registered a magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter scale and resulted in the loss of nearly 800 lives. In 1997, geologists conducted a survey in Mastari and recommended the relocation of villagers to a safer area, in addition to proposing various protective measures.
According to Semwal, the current situation has affected 15 homes, with cracks emerging in the courtyards and walls of the houses. However, District Disaster Management officer Devendra Patwal assured that no significant losses have been reported among the villagers.
Meanwhile, the concern over land subsidence continues to grow in Joshimath, located at an altitude of 1,890 meters in the Garhwal Himalayas. In January, the town witnessed 868 houses developing cracks, leading to the evacuation of occupants from 181 unsafe houses. Currently, sixty families from Joshimath are residing in relief camps. To compound matters, a fresh crack has appeared near a house in Joshimath, raising anxieties about the aggravation of the land-subsidence issue during the monsoon season. The Public Works Department (PWD) engineers are vigilantly monitoring the situation.
Moreover, Jammu and Kashmir’s Thathri town encountered a separate incident of land subsidence on February 1, 2023. The event, described as a multifactor landsliding by geological experts, resulted in 23 structures being deemed unsafe and approximately 300 individuals being displaced in the Doda district.
The recurring incidents of land subsidence in Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir underscore the pressing need for comprehensive measures to address the issue. The safety and well-being of the affected residents remain paramount, necessitating immediate action and the implementation of preventive measures to avert further damage and potential loss of life.
(Inputs from various reports)
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