Mountain of woes: 70 Kullu villages face displacement threat

Relentless rainfall has triggered widespread landslides and land subsidence in Kullu district, leaving nearly 70 villages at risk and raising fears of large-scale displacement. A geological survey conducted after the 2023 disaster attributed the growing instability to road construction on steep slopes, deforestation and changing agricultural practices.

The Banjar subdivision has been hit the hardest, with 24 villages under severe threat. In Bandal village alone, 37 houses have been declared unsafe, forcing the evacuation of 28 families. Authorities have now ordered another detailed geological survey to assess the deteriorating conditions.

According to official estimates, 12 villages in Kullu, five in Manali, 15 in Nirmand, 24 in Banjar and 13 in Anni subdivisions are vulnerable. Many of these settlements, inhabited for generations, now face the grim reality of losing both land and livelihood.

The devastation is stark in Lower Bandal village of Sarchi panchayat, where land subsidence has displaced about 30 families. Panchayat president Rameshwari Thakur confirmed that 36 houses were damaged, including 30 reduced to rubble. Other villages in Banjar’s Bhalan-II panchayat — Ronal, Dheugi, Jaulee, Nonu, Mahli, Kuhla, Brehin and Beekar — reported 18 houses destroyed and nearly two dozen partially damaged.

Bhuntar subdivision too has been badly affected. In Shoghi and Sujehni villages, 15 houses were damaged and residents have remained cut off for over a month without road connectivity, water or electricity, surviving under extremely difficult conditions.

Public infrastructure has not been spared. The Banjar College building has developed cracks across four storeys, with water leakage reported on the ground floor. Landslides inside the campus forced the institution’s closure for more than two weeks.

Agriculture, the backbone of the local economy, has also suffered. A massive landslide in Dehuridhar panchayat near Cheuagarh destroyed nearly 200 bighas of farmland, including apple orchards, while forest land was badly damaged. Farmers in Cheuagarh, Lamiasheri, Jalohra and Ruaar reported heavy losses. In Chinahidi village, located below the landslide zone, apple orchards were wiped out and the nearby PM Shri School in Sainj is under threat.

Residents across the affected areas said continuous rainfall has made the soil dangerously unstable, with large cracks still appearing in the ground. Villagers have appealed for urgent administrative intervention, warning that the destruction could escalate further without immediate preventive measures.