The Jammu and Kashmir administration has evacuated more than 16 families in Doda District of Jammu region amid fears of a village sinking into the ground.
The situation appears to bear some similarities to the Joshimath crisis in Uttarakhand, which made national headlines in India after nearly 900 homes developed cracks in the walls, triggering fears of the entire region sinking. As a result, hundreds of residents of Joshimath were evacuated.
In Nai Basti Village of Jammu region, similar cracks appeared in more than 16 houses, prompting authorities to evacuate the residents.
Speaking to Sputnik, Deputy Commissioner of Doda district, Vishesh Paul Mahajan, the senior most official in the district, said that engineering staff along with other relevant departments had visited the scene to assess the damage and possible reasons behind the cracks.
“We have also sent for the Geological Survey of India for their expert opinion on what has led to the cracks,” the official said.
He added that residences in the village are not newly-constructed, which indicates that the hillock might be witnessing some soil shifting.
“Initially there were small cracks. But as the cracks widened we immediately set up a relief camp and shifted the local residents,” Mahajan said.