New Delhi: Around 13 houses were damaged due to a landslide in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, reported ANI citing officials. The affected families have been shifted to safe locations and have been provided with essentials.
The officials added that the landslide occurred in around 1 sq km area at Duksar Dalwa, in Sangaldan of Gool Tehsil on the upper side of Ramban-Sangaldan Gool road.
According to ANI, SDM of Gool said that all the affected families have been shifted to tents and have also been provided with blankets, and utensils adding that the Army is also providing them food.
As per the report, the landslide poses a great danger to the 33KV Power line and a major Water pipeline.
Ramban Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mussarat Islam has requested the Jammu Divisional Commissioner to send a team of geologists from the Department of Geology and Mining to find out the underlying cause and has also sought help from the engineers of IRCON and USBRL (Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line).
ANI reported that the Ramban DC also urged the Officer-in-charge, 52-RCC of General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF) to make emergency arrangements for creating an alternate road for the Gool Tehsil headquarters.
Earlier on Feb 1, a major landslide occurred on National Highway 44 in Banihal town of the Ramban district. The portion of the highway in the Rampadi area has been closed to vehicular traffic due to the landslide. Meanwhile, authorities have deployed men and machinery to clear the road.
The deputy commissioner of Ramban district has advised people to follow advisories issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police.
In a video tweeted by ANI, which was originally shot by the deputy commissioner of Ramban, boulders can be seen on the highway, blocking it. Rocks were seen lying down while a JCB crane was seen in the background trying to clear the road.
The tweet read, "J&K | A major slide has occurred near Rampadi, Banihal, on National Highway-44. People are advised to follow J&K Traffic Police advisory: Deputy Commissioner, Ramban."
The landslide near Rampadi occurred hours after the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway reopened for traffic after two days. The highway remained closed to vehicular traffic for two days in a row due to shooting stones and mudslides triggered by rains at several places between Chanderkot and Banihal.
The highway was blocked on Monday due to heavy rains and landslides at Panthyal in the Ramban district. The national highway is the main route that connects Kashmir to the rest of India.