Now, fresh cases of land submergence and cracks reported in Dehradun’s Kalsi

DEHRADUN: After Joshimath earlier this year, fresh cases of land submergence have also been reported in Dehradun.

With the land unusually submerged, cracks between houses are widening, posing a threat to residents of 25 buildings in Bamtad Khat in Kalsi tehsil of Khamrauli village. These cracks are visible from rooms to courtyards in Khamrauli village, which has a population of 50 families.

Shamsher Singh Tomar, former Village head of Khamroli village, told The New Indian Express, “During the 2013 disaster, some cracks were seen here, which have now widened. There is an atmosphere of panic among the people. There are many houses in the village which are on the verge of collapse.”

“The villagers have told me that they fear that if no measures are taken to solve the problem soon, the situation here will become like Joshimath,” said Shamsher.

Kalsi Sub Divisional Magistrate Yukta Mishra said, “We had received some complaints regarding the cracks, on which we have taken immediate action and sent a staff to investigate the spot, but there is nothing to panic about.”

SDM Yukta admitted that usually houses are not built as per scientific techniques and standards in the mountains, resulting in some such cases being reported during road cutting and then in the rainy season, but there is no need to panic.

According to the information received by The New Indian Express, “The house of Gyan Singh Tomar of Khamroli village has come under threat due to sinking of land. Similarly, the cracks in the buildings of Bhagat Singh and Rajendra Tomar have also widened”.

“The government primary school Khamroli, where new cracks have come up and the old one has also been widened, is on the verge of collapse,” Gyan Singh Tomar said, adding that, “my own house has also been damaged and more than 50 per cent of the people here are affected”.