22 families shifted amid lurking threat of landslide in Jammu & Kashmir's Kishtwar

Jammu: At least 22 families have been shifted as a precautionary measure due to the lurking threat of a landslide in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, a government official said.

Traffic remained suspended on the Kishtwar-Paddar road, connecting the famous Machail Mata shrine for the third day on Saturday.

District Development Commissioner Rajesh Kumar Shavan conducted an inspection of the landslide-prone area at Singrah Nallah, Patharnaki along the Kishtwar-Peddar Road with a focus on assessing the vulnerability of the area to landslides and evaluating the progress of mitigation measures in place.

"We have taken some preventive measures for the safety of the locals due to the continuous sinking and lurking threat of a landslide. Some 22 families at the hilltop village have been evacuated and provided tents and rations. None of the houses have developed any cracks though," Nagsini Tehsildar Mohd Rafi Naik told PTI on the phone.

Naik, who is monitoring the situation at the landslide-prone area, said a portion of over 200 metres of the road got damaged due to the sinking, while the continuous shooting stones from the hillock are hampering road clearance operations.

He said the district administration is alive to the situation and is keeping a close watch to avoid any untoward incident.

Machail Mata shrine was reopened for the pilgrims only a week ago after winter, marking the commencement of the annual yatra season. However, the closure of the road and the threat of the landslide near Pathernaki hit the yatra.

The local residents blamed massive blasting by the executing agency working on the 624 MW Kiru Hydro-Electric project, a run-of-river scheme, as the reason behind the scary situation.

The district development commissioner, during his visit to the site on Friday, was briefed by officials from the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) on the current status of the ongoing restoration and construction works on the damaged route.

After a thorough examination of the site, the DDC issued necessary directions to the GREF authorities to expedite the work while ensuring safety and sustainability, an official said.

He directed the local administration to stay on high alert and conveyed to the GREF authorities the importance of strengthening the affected section to ensure uninterrupted connectivity and to safeguard commuters, especially during the monsoon season.

The deputy commissioner advised hydroelectric project authorities to strictly adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs) to minimise further impact and avoid exacerbating existing cracks.

Pathernaki and Kiru segments of the road are highly slide-prone and remain at constant risk of disruptions. Hence, continuous monitoring and prompt responsiveness from all stakeholders remain imperative, the official said.

BJP local MLA Sunil Sharma called for a permanent solution to the issue, saying the area has become prone to frequent landslides over the past one-and-a-half years.

"The concerned agencies have been managing the slide zone temporarily to avoid traffic disruption but the issue needs a permanent solution," he said.

Sharma, who is also the leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly, said he had already raised the issue with the deputy commissioner and "we are looking forward to a permanent solution" to the issue.

The closure of the road caused immense hardships to the residents of Paddar and Pangi who are now using an alternate trekking route to move in and out of the region.