Geologists recommend relocation of villagers from subsidence-hit Devrana village

A team of geologists that examined the land subsidence issue in the Devrana village following last month's heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand's Pauri district has recommended relocating the villagers. Cracks appeared on the ground and houses in the village following heavy rain that hit various parts of Uttarakhand last month, killing people and damaging infrastructure.

The maximum damage was caused in Devrana village after the rain on August 7-9 and 12.

Following news of the damage, a team of geologists from Dehradun was asked to examine the land subsidence problem in the village, Yamkeshwar Subdivisional Magistrate Anil Chanyal told PTI on Monday. It has submitted its report and recommended the relocation of the villagers, he said.

'We will soon start searching for a suitable area for the relocation,' Chanyal added.

Around 40 houses are affected by land subsidence in the village while a few have been completely damaged. From Dankhal Motor Road to the primary school building, large cracks have appeared on the road. The ground has subsided by three to four feet, villagers said.

The primary school building where 15 children study has become unsafe, they said.

Some residents have already left their homes to temporarily stay with relatives elsewhere out of fear for their safety, the locals said.

Deepa Devi, whose house is among the worst-hit, has moved to her parents' home in Bhogpur for the time being. The kitchen of her home, the courtyard and a wall were damaged. Huge cracks appeared on the ceiling and the walls.

'I am living temporarily with my parents in Bhogpur but the future worries me,' she said.

Pinki Devi, the village head, said, 'The weather is clear these days, much to the relief of the villagers. But as soon as clouds gather, fear strikes them. They start worrying about what will happen if the walls of their homes come crashing down.' The administration has put up tents in the village where the residents can take shelter in case of a crisis, she said.

'Landslides occurred in the village during the 2013 disaster but subsidence happened for the first time in Devrana,' said Trilok Singh, a villager.

Former village head Bansidhar Devrani said, 'The weather is clear as of now. But no one can predict what will happen in case of another spell of rain.' Relocation seems to be the only solution now, he said.

Madhavanand Kandwal (75) said this was the first time that he witnessed land subsidence at such a scale in his village.

'There is a big question mark on how our future generations will live in the village,' Kandwal said. PTI COR ALM SZM