With incessant rains continuing on Wednesday in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, the fear of landslides has increased in uphill villages with authorities relocating at least 12 families.
The villagers of Chak-Mantrigam, which sits below the Kishanganga hydel power project’s Head Race Tunnels (HRTs), said that the big rocks and landmass had started to skid off, posing threat to the villages located below.
They said that the landmass had loosened due to blasting carried by the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) which executed the project but with rains it was sliding down.
After hectic efforts, the authorities Tuesday evening removed eight families coming under “direct threat”.
The authorities also continued monitoring the situation in the area with revenue and police teams on Wednesday.
Raja Waseem, a local said, “The soil and huge rocks are sliding from the mountains and posing a threat to the villagers living below.”
He said the rocks had loosened due to blasting carried by HCC.
The locals said that not only these families but all villagers were under threat and that a big slide could bury all of them.
Meanwhile, in the adjacent village of Tangath, the power canal of the Athwatoo Power Project has also leaked at many places due to incessant rains forcing at least three families to flee to safer locations.
However, the authorities said that the water supply to the canal had been disconnected for the safety of the villagers.
Muhammad Abdullah Poswal, a youth Gujjar leader said that at least two houses received minor damage at Bela village of Kotha-Sathri after rocks came rolling from the hill.
He said many uphill tribal villagers of upper Kudhara, Surinder and Sumlar were living under the threat of landslides and flashfloods due to incessant rains.
Tehsildar Bandipora Mubashir Nazki told Greater Kashmir that at least 12 families had been relocated from Chak-Mantrigam village.
He said that though there was no immediate threat to the villagers, they had relocated a dozen families as a precautionary measure.