Army evacuates residents from subsidence-hit Palampur village

The Kangra district administration last evening sought the Army’s help in evacuating of residents of subsidence-hit Garder village in the Bachhwai area in Palampur.

Army jawans, along with medical teams, shifted the villagers to safer places like school buildings and makeshift accommodations set up by the administration.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa and senior officers of the administration were also present at the village.

All affected families were moved to safe shelters by late night. The administration assured full assistance to the affected villagers in the hours of crisis.

A team of Army doctors accompanying the jawans provided medical aid to a number of villagers, who were either ill or under the shock of vacating their houses due to land subsidence.

A number of women occupants of damaged houses were seen crying as they were not ready to leave their homes. However, the Deputy Commissioner persuaded them to vacate the houses as the disrict administration had made alternative arrangements for them.

The DC told the villagers it was very risky to live in such conditions when 2 to 4 feet cracks were visible on roads, land and houses. He said despite no rains for the past 12 hours, the cracks in the hills and houses were expanding fast.

Bairwa told the media that the administration had provided immediate financial assistance to the affected villagers. Besides, the revenue officers had been directed to prepare estimates of the damage caused to the houses at earliest so that more financial assistance could be given to the affected people.

A woman in tears told the media that her husband had constructed a new house at Garder village two months ago. The family was giving finishing touches to the building and had planned to shift to new house in coming Navratras starting from September 22. However, the fate willed otherwise and the entire house developed cracks because of subsidence in the adjoining slopes, she added.

Several other villagers had also constructed new houses in the past two years after raising loans from banks, but today the value their constructions had become zero.

Meanwhile, the administration is in a fix where to rehabilitate the affected families as no safe government land was available nearby.

Most of the land in the Bachhwai area belongs to the Forest Department, which cannot be diverted to other use without the Centre’s prior approval.

Most water supply lines have been uprooted because of subsidence. Besides, there is no power supply in the areas as transmission lines have been damaged.