Monsoon fury: Cracks in 28 houses at 2 Kullu villages

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, August 6

A number of families have been driven out of their homes as huge cracks have appeared in at least 28 houses of Bandal and Koshunali villages in Kullu’s Tirthan valley following heavy rain last month.

The villagers say the cracks started appearing soon after rain lashed the region, making the zone prone to landslides. The cracks were small initially, but these soon grew wider, making the houses unsafe. Tara Devi, a resident of Koshunali village, says: “My house has suffered extensive damage. My neighbour’s house may collapse any time.” A group of residents, comprising Sharda Devi, Utam Ram,

Kuldeep Singh and Ravinder Kumar, says: “With the area sinking, both villages have become unsafe for living. Earlier, there were small cracks, but these have grown wider. There are 28 such houses.”

“We urge the local administration to rehabilitate us at the earliest. We have currently taken shelter at our relatives’ homes. There is an urgent for a survey by geologists to find out the cause of land subsidence in our area,” they say. Sharchi panchayat head Rameshwari Devi says: “We have informed the local administration at Banjar about the ground situation. A few houses have already collapsed, while the remaining are on the verge. There is an urgent need to rehabilitate the affected people.”

“We request the administration to conduct a survey. With damage to roads in the area, the affected villagers are finding it hard to move household goods to safer places,” she says.

Banjar SDM Hem Chand Verma says: “I visited the two villages and got the affected houses vacated. I have requested the Kullu Deputy Commissioner to initiate a survey. Due to heavy rain last month, some areas have witnessed land subsidence in Banjar subdivision. Restoration work is underway at many places to prevent landslides. The affected families are being given relief.”

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