Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, June 21: Ashok Kumar, former MLA Ramban and senior Congress leader, has apprised the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir that landslides and sinking of land has been affecting the people inhabited on its periphery due to unplanned cutting of slopes by Gammon and HCC company which has further triggered landslides and sinking of land above the National Highway-44 at villages Ashri and Neera (Ramban), Thanari (Chanderkote), Dalwas (Batote).
“Many houses have been completely damaged and several houses have developed cracks and are on the verge of damage due to the sinking of land below,” he said in a statement and urged to the concerned authorities to provide land/home compensation and immediate rehabilitation of the affected people at suitable places.
Ashok said that poor people’s land/houses at Ashri and Neera (Ramban), Thanari (Chanderkote) and Dalwas (Batote) and other areas have been damaged due to creation of unstoppable man-made landslides forged by concerned companies in process of unplanned cutting of slopes from the bottom. He stated that everyone is in favour of early completion of four lane national highway project but not at the cost of Ramban people’s lives. Ashok further said that many people had lost their valuable lives due to impromptu cutting of slopes which further triggered landslides at Cafeteria Morh, Seri, Marog and Digdol and so many other places from Nashri to Banihal stretch on NH-44. Even after such a crisis, Gammon, HCC and Ramban administration have not developed any safety for the lives of the people belonging to Ramban, he rued and added that it was great injustice with the innocent and poor people inhabited in its periphery who do not have any fault of their own.
Ashok advised that the treatment and stabilization of landslides and sinking of land plan should be provided and implemented by geological experts on war footing to reduce landslide hazard risk which has been created by the concerned companies and negligence of district administration in the beginning of project NH-44. Also vulnerability of geological young, unstable and fragile rocks along the highway has increased repeated problems because of unscientific construction process, he added and suggested that afforestation along the slopes is crucial in order to stop further landslide and there should be true implementation of CAMPA scheme.
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