More than 50 houses, four electricity towers, a receiving station, and a main road were severely damaged in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district due to the sinking of a road, officials reported on Friday.
Ramban’s Deputy Commissioner, Baseer-ul-Haq Choudhary, rushed to the Pernote village, situated just five kilometers from the district headquarters, early Friday morning to assess the situation firsthand. He assured assistance to the affected families and pledged efforts towards the restoration of essential services, particularly electricity.
Choudhary, while addressing the media at the scene, said “This is a natural disaster, and being the head of the district, I take full responsibility for providing food and shelter to the affected families.”
He further elaborated on the response efforts, stating, “The land is still sinking, and our priority is to restore essential services like roads and electricity. We are mobilizing tents, organizing medical camps, and deploying round-the-clock supervision teams for rehabilitation.”
Choudhary also urged residents not to panic but to take necessary precautions to ensure their safety in the face of this crisis.
Local volunteers, along with State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, joined hands to assist affected individuals in relocating their belongings from damaged houses to safer locations.
Authorities have activated an alternate route via Sumber-Digdoal to connect the Gool sub-division with the district headquarters, providing some relief to the affected population.
This incident echoes a similar occurrence last February, where at least 16 houses were damaged, and road connectivity between Gool and Ramban was severed due to land sinking in the Duksar Dalwa village in the Sangaldan area.
The district administration has summoned geological experts to investigate the cause behind the land sinking, emphasizing the need for swift action to mitigate further damage and ensure the safety and well-being of the affected communities.
