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| After floods, land starts sinking in Jammu, other areas | | |
Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 7: After flash floods and relentless rainfall, new concerns have emerged over incidents of land sinking in various parts of Jammu and surrounding areas.
Apart from Jammu city and its adjoining localities, cases of ground subsidence have been reported from Nowshera area, Kheri village in Bishnah tehsil, Rah Salyote in Chowi Choura of Akhnoor sub-division, and Musra in Mahore tehsil of Reasi district.
In the Bantalaab area, several houses have developed cracks due to sudden land subsidence, with some patches of ground reportedly sinking by three to four feet. Two houses have collapsed, while three others have sustained significant structural damage.
Fortunately, the affected families had already evacuated their homes after noticing the growing danger. Preliminary assessments suggest that excessive groundwater accumulation from recent torrential rains is the cause of the sinking. Given that these regions are hilly, officials fear that mountain slides may also occur. A team of experts has been dispatched to inspect the sites, and a clearer picture is expected once the investigation is completed.
In one locality, about a dozen houses stand some distance apart. All residents have evacuated their homes and moved to safer locations out of fear.
For the past three to four days, people noticed some light cracks and assumed it was a construction flaw. But overnight, the ground sank three to four feet and the entire house collapsed.
Shamlal Sharma, the MLA representing the area, said he had instructed the administration to thoroughly investigate the matter and ensure the safety of the affected people. He mentioned that although he was in Srinagar and only returned to Jammu late in the evening, he was informed about the incident the same morning. He immediately directed the Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildar to visit the site for an assessment and also deployed his workers to assist in providing relief.
“I will personally follow up on Sunday to gather complete details, understand the causes behind the incident, and explore possible relief measures for the affected residents,” Sharma added.
The village, home to approximately 1,500 people residing in about 200 houses, is spread over a long area. Some homes are clustered in groups of four to five, while others are spaced further apart. Currently, subsidence has been reported in only one part of the village, with no similar incidents elsewhere.
The Jammu district administration confirmed that a geological survey will be conducted to determine the reasons behind the land sinking. The immediate priority is to relocate affected families to safer areas and protect life and property. Residents from seven to eight households have already been moved to secure locations and provided with rations and other essential supplies. The administration team is scheduled to visit the village again on Sunday to review the situation. |
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