Three families, comprising ten members, were evacuated from their homes in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir as a precautionary measure following land subsidence and the emergence of cracks in residential structures. The incident occurred in Kulthi Chakka Kundi village, located in Tehsil Rajgarh along the banks of the Chenab River.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the land subsidence triggered panic among local villagers, especially after a period of heavy rainfall had impacted several areas across the district. Administrative, revenue, and rescue teams were promptly dispatched to the affected locality.
Tehsildar Rajgarh, Major Singh, confirmed that one non-residential structure owned by Bhagat Ram was washed away. Additionally, residential houses belonging to Chaat Ram, Chaman Lal, and Bhushan Lal developed cracks due to the ground instability over the preceding days. Singh stated that he personally visited the affected area with a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team and facilitated the relocation of the affected families. Temporary accommodation in the form of tents has been provided to them. The Naib Tehsildar and other officials remain stationed in the village to continuously monitor the evolving situation.
Local residents, however, reported visible cracks and damage to several other houses, including those owned by Dev Raj, Hari Ram, Santosh Singh, Fallal Singh, and Shashram. The extent of the damage is still being assessed by authorities.
Neelam Kumar Lange, the BJP Ramban district president, also visited the affected site. He called for immediate compensation and rehabilitation measures for the families displaced by the land subsidence. Lange voiced concern over the absence of any government minister or Member of the Legislative Assembly from the National Conference-led government at the scene, alleging that no elected representative had visited to assess the gravity of the situation firsthand.
Some local residents have speculated that recent water releases from the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project, necessitated by heavy rains, might have contributed to the ground instability. However, officials have stated that the exact cause of the land subsidence and the resulting cracks has yet to be definitively established and is under investigation.
In a separate incident on Monday morning, a non-local worker operating a sand-extraction boat was swept away by strong currents in the Chenab River near Pul Doda in Doda district. The individual was subsequently rescued by the SDRF. The worker was reportedly employed by a private company holding a contract for sand extraction in the region. Efforts are currently underway to retrieve the submerged sand-extraction machinery from the river.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
