Uncertainty stares at land sinking-hit victims in distt Ramban as situation remains critical

Geologists camping in Pernote; 74 families affected; experts call for ‘critical assessment’ to draw conclusion

Jammu: Amidst the growing uncertainty among at-least 74 affected families, situation in land sinking-hit Pernote and adjoining villages along the Ramban-Gool road on Monday remained critical with the geologists trying hard to determine the exact reasons that led to land subsidence in the area.
Sources told The News Now that a team of senior geologists from New Delhi was currently stationed in Pernote and has collected the samples of soil to ascertain the reasons that led to land sinking in the area. “At-least 74 families with over 500 souls are directly affected due to land sinking and have suffered extensive damage to their properties in Pernote, Nimnad and Telga areas. All the affected people of Nemnad-Parnote and Telga areas alongside Ramban Gool road have been evacuated to safer places as a precautionary measure”.
Sources said that the entire area has been declared as ‘out of bound’ where the movement of the people has been restricted. “The teams of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) and UT Disaster Relief Force (UTDRF) are on job to deal with the situation, which seems to be nobody’s control. The area is slowly and continuously sinking and it is difficult to initiate any immediate remedial measures there”.
The district administration officials claimed that road connectivity and electricity supply to Gool sub-division were badly affected due to land subsidence incident. “Though the power supply has been restored to some extent, yet authorities have opened a road from Digdol area for light motor vehicles to ensure that the area does not remain cut off for a long time,” officials said.
When contacted, Professor G M Bhat, a noted geologist, emphasized the need for on-site assessment before drawing conclusions about the underlying causes. “I am yet to visit the affected villages in Ramban where the land sinking has been reported. It would be inappropriate to comment on the reasons without assessing the ground situation. Definitely, the problem is deep-rooted and it needs a critical assessment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the affected population in Pernote, Nimnad and Telga areas was staring at an uncertain future as the land was continuously sinking and the administration was not sure about their rehabilitation at native places till the area was declared safe for living.
Reacting to the reports that land subsidence in Ramban village could affect the electricity supply in Kashmir after some high tension electricity towers suffered damage, former minister and senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar said, “Cavalier attitude to environmental concerns made us vulnerable to worst disasters. Mad race to harness hydropower, roads, railways, yatras, without assessing E impacts also entails huge security concerns as most important defense roads pass through this area. Our darkness apart”.
The land sinking incident came into notice on April 25 when the people noticed that their houses had developed cracks, forcing them to leave for safer places.
On Sunday night, the Ramban district administration had revealed that land subsidence in village Pernote has led to sinking in Nimnad and Telga wards. Residents are at risk. Tehsildar Ramban instructed by the Deputy Commissioner Ramban Baseer-Ul- Haq Chaudhary to evacuate them to safety immediately. Please heed this warning for your safety”.

Updated On 4/30/2024 2:45:10 AM