9 Himachal Pradesh families vacate homes due to cracks, sinking land

KULLU: At least nine families have been forced to leave their homes in five Himachal Pradesh villages along Kiratpur-Manali highway, saying unscientific road widening by NHAI had made the land dangerously unstable.Most houses in Tanipari, Shala Nal, Jala Nal, Tanhul and Thalout in Balichowki subdivision developed cracks and agricultural land began sinking since the work began. All five villages overlook the highway. Balichowki subdivisional magistrate Devi Singh said the landslide poses a serious threat to the place. "The main reason behind landslides appears to be the highway widening work. We have spoken to NHAI and asked them to start constructing retaining walls at the landslide spots."Shobha Ram Bhardwaj, a local, said, "Our houses started developing cracks, and the land began to sink and slide three years ago when NHAI started widening the highway. The company hired for the job did not build the road scientifically but cut the hills vertically despite our protests."On Monday, 28 members of nine families from Tanipari, located above the highway tunnel, evacuated their houses after the landslide area reached almost the edge of the village. Residents of the affected villages have sought compensation from NHAI, a demand yet to be accepted.