2 Solan families left homeless as house develops cracks due to NH5 four-laning

Solan, July 24

Following reckless excavation of a hill for the four-laning of the Solan-Shimla section of National Highway 5, two families were rendered homeless after huge cracks appeared in their house at the Saproon area of Solan today.

Sought land from state government

The family members said they had been residing at the house for the past 40 years and faced no problem. The trouble began when the four-laning work on the road led to the cutting of the hill over which their house was located. The family also sought land from the state government to resettle as their entire earnings had been exhausted in constructing this house.

The families have been forced to shift to a rented accommodation in the Basant Vihar area of the city after their house located atop the hill, developed huge cracks. In 2016 too, the house had developed cracks and the family had spent lakhs of rupees to repair the house.

A family member, Sohan Lal, who spent his entire savings on the construction of the house after retiring from a government job, said, “In 2016 too, our house had developed cracks due to the reckless excavation of the hill, but nothing was done by the private company, GRI Infra Projects, to help us. Though a retaining wall was constructed to contain the sinking land, that too collapsed and since then, the area has been sinking with each passing day.”

Relying on mere pension, Sohan sought immediate financial help from the state government to tide over the loss. Rs 10,000 were extended as financial help, but the amount was meagre to tide over the crisis.

The family members said they had been residing there for the past 40 years and faced no problem. The trouble began when the four-laning work on the road led to the cutting of the hill over which their house was located.

The family also sought land from the state government to resettle as their entire earnings had been exhausted in constructing this house.

Ravish Pal, a family member, said strict action should be taken against the private company engaged in the work on four-laning the highway as their house was on the verge of collapsing and they were left to fend for themselves.