Living on the edge, Trilokpur residents on Pathankot-Mandi NH asked to evacuate

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, May 29

Jawali SDM Vachitar Singh, along with a team of technical experts of the Bharat Construction Company, examined the landslide-prone Trilokpur village on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway near Kotla. He met families living under the constant threat of landslides after a massive landslip was triggered here recently due to the alleged unscientific mountain cutting.

After assessing the situation of the landslide-prone village and convening a meeting with the panchayat pradhan, the Jawali SDM has directed to evacuate three houses and a building in the area.

Three houses, monastery to be vacated

• Following the massive landslide on May 25, cracks emerging on the mountain have further increased the concern of villagers
• According to panchayat pradhan Durga Dass, residents Avinash Gill and Sumna Devi have been asked to move back to their old houses
• Another resident, Rohit Sharma, has been directed to shift in a rented house for which rent would be paid by the construction company
• The SDM said if there was any damage to the houses during the monsoon season, the NHAI would compensate them

According to panchayat pradhan Durga Dass, residents Avinash Gill and Sumna Devi, who were staying in their newly constructed houses, have been asked to move back to their old houses in the village. He said another resident, Rohit Sharma, has been directed to shift in a rented house for which rent would be paid by the highway widening project construction company.

The administration has also directed to evacuate one building of the Tibetan Monastery and shift the monastery to other buildings in the village.

The panchayat pradhan said he had demanded the administration to restore two stairways and one kutcha road in the village as these were damaged during the hill cutting process, depriving the villagers of effective connectivity.

The Tribune has highlighted the plight of residents of Trilokpur village multiple times. Ever since the construction company had started hill cutting using JCB and Poclain machines, villagers have been spending sleepless nights.

Following the massive landslide on May 25, emerging cracks on the mountain have further increased the concern of villagers, who had been flagging the demand to erect a protection wall to save their houses.

In this connection the SDM said all three families have been instructed to vacate their houses with immediate effect and if there was any damage to their houses during the monsoon season, the NHAI would compensate them.