After cracks in seven houses in Thathri area of the Doda district of Jammu province the shifting of families rendered shelterless in Thathri undoubtedly shows concerns about the safety and security of the people but no equal attention is being given to people rendered shelterless due to land sinking in several other districts of both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division . Unfortunately land sinking that has rendered shelterless some families in Doda district is not the first incident of it’s kind in Jammu & Kashmir but houses have collapsed due to land sinking in many other areas of Jammu division and several parts of Kashmir Valley as well but unfortunately authorities in other districts have not taken any follow up action on such incidents which render dozens of families shelterless. As the concern over the right to housing facilities of people living below the poverty line is rising day after day, month after month and year after year, the issue of land sinking resulting in the collapse of residential houses not only deserves immediate attention of the Jammu & Kashmir Government but is a fit case for a full fledged rehabilitation scheme for the families rendered homeless due to land sinking in several parts of both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division in recent years. While many such incidents of house collapses due to land sinking have been brought to the notice of many Deputy Commissioners in several districts of both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division in recent years, the families rendered homeless continue to run from pillar to post in connection with their demand for rehabilitation at secure and safe places in their own localities. While in Doda district a team of geologists has been sent to Thathri town of Doda district to inspect the spot where land sinking has developed cracks in more than half a dozen house, no such move has been initiated at such places in other districts where incidents of cracks in residential houses due to land sinking have been brought to the notice of concerned Deputy Commissioners in both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division. __________________________________________________________________
While experts say that spurt in cuttings and excavations for the construction of new railway, highway, expressway and PMGSY projects in some districts trigger sinking and subsidence of lands, it is for the Government to frame polices for rehabilitation of those rendered shelterless by such incidents in both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division and subsequently ban cuttings and excavations in such areas which are prone to sinking and subsidence of lands.
Interestingly a prominent civil society group of Jammu & Kashmir called Concerned Group of Citizen (GCC) J&K has recently in a memorandum to Chief Secretary Dr A K Mehta impressed upon him to start process for framing policy and schemes for such places where incidents of sinking and subsidence of lands have been brought to the notice of Deputy Commissioners from time to time. While experts say that spurt in cuttings and excavations for the construction of new railway, highway, expressway and PMGSY projects in some districts trigger sinking and subsidence of lands, it is for the Government to frame polices for rehabilitation of those rendered shelterless by such incidents in both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division and subsequently ban cuttings and excavations in such areas which are prone to sinking and subsidence of lands.
