A large structure in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, that had been abandoned after flaws were discovered, collapsed on Friday. Numerous local residences have recently experienced structural cracking, prompting this new construction. Due to fractures in their houses, over 19 people were forced to leave their community in the Doda area of Jammu & Kashmir.
“A report was sent to Geological Survey of India, they will be arriving for further investigation. Most residents were from nearby villages. Temporary makeshift houses with basic amenities provided to affected residents,” Athar Amin Zargar, SDM Doda, said.
Located 35 kilometres south of Doda town along the Kishtwar-Batote National Highway, in the hamlet of Thathri, the authorities have closed down a mosque and a religious school for females in Nai Basti.
A landslide on Thursday made the situation much worse, damaging 21 properties in the town. The damage to this building and others in the area had begun a few days earlier, when the first buildings began to show signs of cracking.
“We have shifted 19 affected families to a safer location after their houses were rendered unsafe. We are observing the situation and taking steps as per need to ensure their safety,” Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Thathri) Athar Amin Zargar told PTI.
The deputy commissioner and the senior superintendent of police, he added, had already visited the scene and offered the families of all possible assistance.
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Zargar, however, declined to draw parallels with the crisis at Joshimath, Uttarakhand, the entrance to well-known pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib.
“Comparing the situation in Nai Basti with the sinking town of Joshimath will be an exaggeration. We are faced with a problem of landslide and geologists from Chenab Valley power projects and National Highways Authority of India have already inspected the site,” Zargar said.
