House in way of NH-widening project, Jammu man moves it to save wife's memories
Jammu, December 8
In the face of a looming demolition, one man’s love for his late wife refused to be extinguished. Jagmohan Singh, a resident of Jammu, is undertaking a remarkable feat to preserve the memories of his wife—moving his entire four-story house 160 feet away from its original location.
“In 2017, I built this house with my wife. She designed each section of this house. It was a labour of love, and it’s full of memories for us. But now, it’s in the way of a road-widening project. The National Highway Authority official said that it has to be demolished,” said Jagmohan Singh.
This house was more than just bricks and mortar for Singh and his wife. They built it together pouring their love and hard work into every detail. Tragically, Singh lost his wife to Covid-19, leaving a void, which he is trying to fill with her memories.
Jagmohan Singh has hired a specialised company to move his house from its current location to avoid demolition for a road widening project.
“I can’t bear the thought of losing this house. It’s a symbol of our love and our life together. I heard that it’s possible to move houses, so I did some internet research. I found a company that specialises in house relocation. They said it would cost around Rs 50 to Rs 60 lakh, but I didn’t care. The memories of my wife are worth more than anything,” said Jagmohan Singh.
The Haryana-based company, HSBL, that specialises in house lifting and relocation has offered him a ray of hope. “The total cost of shifting the building is around Rs 50-60 lakh, because Rs 20-25 lakh is only labour cost,” Singh explained. “We are shifting this building 160 feet. Risk cover has been guaranteed by the HSBL company. At that time, the cost of construction of this building was Rs 1 crore,” he added.
“The company has taken responsibility for any mishaps that may occur during the relocation. They’re confident that they can move the house safely and efficiently. I know it’s a long shot, but I’m hoping that we can save this house. My daughter says that even if her mother is gone, she’ll always remember her if we can keep the house,” further added Singh.
HSBL, a company from Haryana has taken full responsibility for the project, guaranteeing against any mishaps during the house relocation. The shifting is expected to be completed within the next three months.
“We are doing jack work,” said Dhoom Singh, manager of HSBL. “The basement is already dug. We will complete it. This is the first time in Jammu,” added Dhoom Singh, manager of HSBL.
