Post landslides cracks appear in Doda houses, Zone of influence limited to area: Experts

Post landslides cracks appear in Doda houses, Zone of influence limited to area: Experts

Wide cracks have started to appear on roads and walls of houses in Thathri in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, forcing the administration to evacuate over 250 persons.

While minor cracks surfaced in Nai Basti in Thathri a month ago, the situation turned grim when the area witnessed landslides over the past four days. The cracks are reminiscent of a similar crisis in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath where the state government has been demolishing several houses and hotels after declaring them unsafe.

A total of 19 houses, a mosque and a madrasa were declared unsafe by the administration and teams of experts, including the Geological Survey of India, the National Highways Authority of India and engineers from hydropower projects in neighbouring Kishtwar district.

Doda Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Paul Mahajan said a relief camp had been set up in the district. He said the exact cause of the cracks and the landslides would be ascertained by a team of experts. “Our priority is to rescue the residents and provide them relief,” he said. Locals alleged that heavy machinery was used to level a piece of land, though the authorities claimed it was a natural phenomenon as the area was landslide-prone.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh tweeted, “I am in touch with the Doda DC. A relief camp has been set up for the residents. A geological survey team is already on its way to the affected spot to study the underlying causative factors. Short and long-term remedial measures, as required, will be undertaken.”

The relief camp has been established at the Boys’ Higher Secondary School and pre-fabricated structures would be used in case more people needed to be adjusted.

Shaukat Ahmed, a local, alleged that the administration was informed about the issue weeks ago, but no action was taken. “It was only after the situation turned grim that the government woke up. Most of the people are living in this area for over 20 years. Now, they are being asked to move out from here,” said Zahida, another resident.

Meanwhile, A team from Geological Survey of India has been sent to Doda in Jammu and Kashmir to conduct studies in the wake of cracks in 22 houses, an official said on Saturday. Athar Amin Zargar, sub divisional magistrate of Thathri, said a team of geologists are present at the spot of reported land subsidence, adding that the zone of influence is limited to the area as observed on Saturday morning.

“The situation is being regularly monitored by deputy commissioner and his senior officers. The situation is under control. The government sent a team of Geological Survey of India and they are conducting their studies. They will submit their report to the government,” the SDM said. “People have vacated the area.”

On Friday, Union minister Jitendra Singh also informed that a relief camp has been set up for the residents of the affected houses in the valley. “I am in touch with DC #Doda, Sh Vishesh Mahajan. A Relief Camp has been set up for the residents of the affected houses. Meanwhile, a Geological Survey team is already on its way to the affected spot to study the underlying causative factors. Short and long-term remedial measures, as required, will be undertaken,” he wrote on Twitter.

Zargar earlier said the cracks had started appearing in a house in December last year and have now started to aggravate. “Cracks were reported in a house in December in the Doda district. Till yesterday, six buildings developed cracks, but now these cracks have started to increase and the area can be seen sinking as several structures in the area have developed cracks,” he told ANI.

The cracks, according to the local administration, were caused because parts of the land had appeared to have sunk, triggering a crisis that resembles the situation in another Himalayan town, Joshimath.

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