Panic in Doda village after cracks develop in residential structures

Bhaderwah, February 16

Over a dozen residential houses and a mosque have developed cracks in a village in Doda district, forcing the inhabitants to move in temporary shelters, officials on Thursday said.

Doda Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh said a team of officials visited the affected Gatsu hamlet to take stock of the situation and provided a few tents to the affected families.

“We are there for the villagers of Gatsu and monitoring the situation. If required, the families will be rehabilitated to safer places,” he said.

Located on Doda-Kishtwar stretch of National Highway-244, 10 km from Doda town, the affected residents of Gatsu blamed the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) for their plight.

They claimed that large cracks appeared in the structures after the ground started sinking due to road widening work. The district magistrate said that he would take up issue of compensation for the affected families with the NHIDCL in the next review meeting.

“We left our houses after cracks started widening due to recent rains. We have been pleading before the NHIDCL authorities and the district administration, but no one came to our rescue till date,” Haleema Begum (65) said.

Mohd Aarif (35) said they have left their unsafe homes and are now living under polyethylene sheets.

“We are living in constant fear of attacks by wild animals like leopards and bears which keep on roaming in this area,” he said, demanding their proper rehabilitation at the earliest.