CM visits Poonch village facing land subsidence, sanctions Rs 38L relief

Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, on Wednesday visited Poonch district to review the situation arising out of land subsidence in a village from where many families have been shifted.

Abdullah visited Kalaban village to assess the damage caused by land subsidence in the border belt. Kalaban in Mendhar tehsil of the district is located close to the Line of Control (LoC) and has been experiencing land subsidence since September 11.

The Chief Minister, during his visit to Kalaban, sanctioned immediate relief of Rs 38 lakh to these families in addition to Rs 50 lakh sanctioned under SDRF.

At least 1,000 residents were shifted by the district administration to a safer location as the sinking of land damaged nearly 100 homes, a graveyard and a mosque.

Abdullah reached the village in a chopper after which he inspected various areas where land subsidence had damaged houses, roads and other infrastructure.

He met the affected people, listened to their grievances and assured them of full government support. He also directed officials to provide all necessary facilities for boarding and lodging.

Deputy Commissioner Ashok Sharma, who accompanied Abdullah, informed him about the situation and measures being taken for the welfare of those affected due to the subsidence. Minister Javed Rana, who is the local MLA, was also present. The DC and other officials made an elaborate presentation before the CM.

The CM was informed that vehicles have been deployed for transporting people and their belongings from the affected areas.

According to the officials, teams are conducting damage assessments to identify high-risk zones and to mitigate further damage to life and property.

A temporary control room has been set up at the sub-division level to coordinate relief efforts through the administration, NGOs and volunteers. The CM was informed that 77 tents and 100 tarpaulin sheets have been provided to the displaced families for immediate relief. Relief camps have been established at panchayat ghars of Kalaban and Faizabad.

Kalaban is one of the villages that faced land subsidence in Jammu, Ramban, Poonch, Rajouri and Reasi districts during the post-monsoon period, resulting in damage to over 200 houses and the displacement of local residents.