Residents of Kheri village, situated in the Bantalab area of Jammu, say that 15 to 20 houses have been damaged or destroyed due to landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains over the past few days.
The relentless downpours over past few days have also resulted in deep cracks in the soil, rendering homes unsafe and forcing villagers to seek shelter in makeshift tents.
With the terrain still unstable and more rain threatening lives and property, residents need to move to safer places right away.
Displaced families, many of whom invested their life savings into these homes, are now enduring dire living conditions.
Javed, a resident affected by rain damage, said, “Our house, built with years of hard-earned money, is now destroyed. We have nowhere to stay, no money even to build a makeshift shelter. I haven’t eaten food for three days. The administration promised help, but we have received nothing so far. We urgently need their support to rebuild our lives.”
Rafia, another affected resident, said, “The lanslide struck suddenly at 3 a.m., destroying our household items due to heavy rain. We managed to save some of our belongings, but most are ruined and scattered. We are currently taking shelter in neighbours’ homes. Around 10-15 houses here, and there is nearly 20-30 total houses in the colony. The MLA visited and assessed the situation, but we are still waiting for government assistance to provide us with a safe place to live.”
Rubina, a resident, said, “Both of my brothers’ houses have been severely damaged. We have small children, and we don’t know where to go. Returning to our homes is not an option; this isn’t a one-day problem, and it could happen again. We appeal to the government to step in and provide immediate assistance to help us rebuild.”
Another resident stated, “Everything is destroyed–doors, walls, Everything has collapsed. It’s dangerous to even enter the house. My two sons were outside when the incident occurred, but we are now facing immense challenges. I built this house with great difficulty over the course of three years, and now it’s gone. Where will we go? We need urgent help to find a safe place to live.”
Sumit Dhar, a resident of Talab Tillo in Jammu, stepped forward to provide essential relief to affected families. Dhar mobilised support through social media, shared details of his initiative with ANI.
“I came to know about this situation through social media, and then I got the number of the administration through social media. We spoke with the tehsildars and patwaris; they informed us about the location of this place. Then we liaised with the concerned patwari of this area and reached this place,” Dhar recounted.
He added, “We from our Royal Palm Society contribution, helping here 40-50 families with basic needs like fruits, vegetables, and some food items.” (ANI)
