The Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu are being developed as the hydroelectric generation hub of the country with several power projects coming up in the area.
Representational image [Photo : iStock]
In a situation similar to the sinking of Joshimath in Uttrakhand, more than 200 men, women and children have been evacuated from Nai-Basti village of the Doda district in Jammu where several residential buildings developed wide cracks as the place was sliding.
Deputy Commissioner of Doda Vishesh Mahajan personally visited the village near the Thathri town to take stock of the situation and summoned top engineers of the highway authority, geology and mining experts as well as engineers to examine the spot and submit their report by this evening.
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The number of houses that have developed cracks have dramatically increased to 21 on Friday six days after the phenomenon was noticed. A mosque and a madrassa for girls have also been abandoned as the buildings were unsafe.
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The Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu are being developed as the hydroelectric generation hub of the country with several power projects coming up in the area.
A couple of houses started developing cracks a few days ago, but the situation further aggravated on Thursday due to landslides. Panicked residents of the village said that they had been living there for nearly 20 years but never faced such a situation.
Athar Amin Zargar visited the village and shifted 19 families to a government school and a pre-fabricated structure. Some people have shifted to the houses of their relatives. Senior superintendent of police also visited the village.
Geologists of the power projects and National Highways Authority of India have inspected the sliding village near the Batote-Doda highway.
Others, whose houses have not yet developed cracks, were also worried as the entire village developed two decades ago was becoming unsafe for habitat.
The cracks were first noticed in December, but were not taken seriously.
This is not an isolated incident of landslide in Jammu and Kashmir. Several other areas where construction of roads was undertaken are also witnessing such a situation.
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