At least six residential houses were damaged in a land sinking incident in the Rainawari area of Srinagar on Monday, leading to the evacuation of affected families under the orders of the Tehsildar.
Residents of Khawaja Pora in Rainawari said that they initially noticed the cracks developing in their houses on Eid day (June 17), which caused significant damage to their homes. Despite the gravity of the situation, the affected families lamented that only the local police and the Tehsildar visited them on the first day to declare the houses unsafe and mandate evacuation.
Irfan Shah, a local whose house was damaged, shared his frustration: “On the first day, the Tehsildar and local police came, but since then, no other officials have visited us. We feel abandoned.”
Shah also mentioned that some families, unable to afford alternative accommodations, are forced to remain in the damaged houses, which poses serious risks. The families have made repeated appeals to the administration to assess the damage and provide guidance on the necessary steps to ensure their safety and stability.
“We need officials to come and evaluate the situation. Our homes are damaged, and our future is uncertain,” said another resident, voicing the community’s urgent plea for help, as per local news agency Kashmir News Observer.
This incident in Rainawari is not an isolated case. In February 2024, over a dozen residential houses and a mosque in Garsoo village of Doda district developed cracks due to land sinking. This unsettling event began with land sliding, causing widespread panic among residents of this remote village along the Doda-Kishtwar stretch of National Highway-244.
Similarly, in July 2023, significant cracks were reported on the riverside road in Batengoo, Anantnag district, sparking fear among the locals. The cracks, initially barely visible, widened over a few days, threatening to cause the road to collapse into the Jhelum River.
In April 2023, the Halmathpora area of Kupwara saw cracks forming on the Tingshore hill. The cracks, which damaged several tin sheds, were followed by land sinking, leading to fears of a potential hill collapse. As a result, many families relocated to safer areas.
In April 2024, a tragic situation unfolded in Pernote village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district, where 74 families were forced to leave their homes without any assurance of safety, leaving their belongings behind and facing an uncertain future.
In February 2023, the Daksar neighborhood of Gool’s Dalwah area in Ramban district experienced chaos as residents moved their valuables and livestock in preparation for an anticipated disaster, abandoning their ancestral homes and farmlands.
Land sinking can be caused by natural factors such as groundwater dissolution and earthquakes, as well as human activities like groundwater extraction, mining, and urban development, leading to ground compaction and subsidence.