J&K: Doda village residents appeal for rehabilitation after cracks appear in houses

The 300 people who have been displaced and 22 homes damaged by earth subsidence in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district's Nai Basti village feel as though they are torn between the devil and the deep sea.

They have fervently appealed with the L-G administration to help them get better.

An upset-looking person Shazia Begum, 38, who lost her home to cracks, sat on the side of the road with her kids and possessions and sobbed uncontrollably.

“I am reluctant to leave the village. Where would we go now? We are ruined. We worked as petty labourers and had constructed a house for our children. We appeal to the government to do something for us. I have a handicapped child. Where would we go now?” she said.

Around-40-year-old Mohammad Akram reported that cracks began appearing in six to seven homes in December of the previous year.

“We took it lightly because in hilly areas moderate quakes and water cause minor cracks in the houses. We applied white cement to cover them but a week ago, these started widening and also spread to more houses. The land also started sinking,” he said.

According to Akram, several families relocated to the area from the upper reaches of Doda in order to avoid being attacked by extremists.

“We came here during 1990s due to militancy in the upper reaches of Doda. My father’s brother was killed by militants. We came here and constructed a small house but now everything is in ruins. I am a labourer, who earns ₹300 a day. I request the government to give us five-marla plot and compensation to construct our houses and rebuild our lives,” said Akram.

Owais, 22, a village youth, said that probably God was angry with them.

“We fear Joshimath-like crisis. We are praying day-and-night that land subsidence doesn’t spread further. Some among us are removing window panes and doors to salvage something from their houses because people are very poor here and wood is costly here in Doda,” he said. It may be stated here that the administration has so far not announced any compensation to the affected families.

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