Dharali: The residents of Paingadh village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district have been forced to vacate their homes and live in a government school, even as no proper action has been taken by the administration regarding their rehabilitation after the incidents of land subsidence and development of cracks in the village since the past few months.
Minor cracks initially appeared at a peak located just above the village in October, 2021.
However, on October 21, 2022, land subsidence occurred in the cracked area and huge boulders fell on the village, causing many houses to collapse in which four persons lost their lives.
More than 40 families of the village, which is part of the old settlements on the left bank of Pindar river, remain homeless. A total of 90 families have lived in the village for generations.
The affected residents alleged that they were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in schools or live with their relatives.
The only government primary school in the village has turned into a relief camp since the incident, which is now being run from the junior high school building.
Tharali Block Education Officer, Adarsh Kumar, said that there is no proposal regarding resuming operations in the building so far.
The District Disaster Management Officer, N.K. Joshi, said that a tin shed has been constructed in the village for the affected people.
Joshi also said that the affected people of Paingadh have been compensated as per the rules and the process of rehabilitating 44 families is underway as per the displacement policy.
Surendralal, an affected resident, said that the tin shed is being built at a place surrounded by pine forests without water and electricity.
He added that the area cannot be accessed by foot and the constant danger of forest fire incidents will loom in the summer since dry pine leaves are highly inflammable.
He alleged that a sum of Rs 5,000 was provided to the affected people around four months ago in the name of disaster relief. Gopal Dutt, another local, said that the state government is being requested to construct houses, but the matter has not progressed so far. —IANS