Frequent landslides in Kullu forest area damage houses

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, December 9

Residents of Chhinjra village in Kullu district have been suffering because of frequent landslides in the Kayali forest area in the last one year. Massive landslides and shooting boulders had damaged residential houses in the region in February this year. Now, villagers are apprehensive that during the winter, landslides may occur again due to rain and snowfall and damage their houses again. So, there is need for preventive measures to check the property loss.

A link road was also blocked because of a massive landslide, affecting the movement of vehicles in the region. A company had constructed the road to connect upper Chhinjra village to the Bhunter-Manikaran road.

Gyan Chand, Joginder Sharma, Sunder Lal, Tara Devi, Roshni Devi and Kanhiya Lala, all natives of Chhinjra village, say that massive landslides occurred in the Kayali forest area in February this year, damaging the houses of villagers.

They say, “The local road and pathways have been damaged badly. As a result, we are facing difficulties in transporting our agricultural and horticultural produce to distant markets in time”.

Om Prakash Sharma, another resident of Chhinjra village, says, “We have submitted a memorandum to Kullu Deputy Commissioner Richa Verma urging her to provide compensation to the affected people of the village”.

“There is need to repair the damaged road and pathways for the movement of people as well as vehicles. We have requested the Deputy Commissioner to assess the loss of property caused due to landslides and provide us compensation, as per the rules. Also, there is need to find a permanent solution to the problem of landslides in the forest area, which may cause huge losses to us in future as well,” he adds.

Angel Chauhan, Divisional Forest Officer of Parvati circle in Kullu district, says, “The department has sent an estimate of Rs 20 lakh for approval to the higher authorities for the construction of check dams and walls in the region to prevent landslides. Forestation will be done in damaged areas for the purpose”. He adds that the department had spent Rs 13 lakh to construct check dams and walls in the area last year.