Zahid Shah
Budhal, August 31: In a devastating natural disaster, a massive land sinking event, triggered by relentless flooding rains, has struck the Mohra Hill area of Kangota in Block Budhal, Rajouri district. The catastrophe has resulted in the complete destruction of six residential houses, displacing multiple families and leaving them without shelter, resources, or government support.
Local residents report that the land continues to sink and shift, raising fears of further collapse in the surrounding areas. The uninterrupted rainfall over the past several days has saturated the soil, weakening the terrain and making the entire zone highly unstable. Cracks have reportedly begun appearing in nearby structures, suggesting the disaster may not be over.
The affected families, now homeless, have voiced deep anger and despair over the non-response from the district administration. No official, they say, has visited the site, nor has any relief material been sent. With no road connectivity, people have been forced to walk long distances through dangerous terrain to seek basic help — all while heavy rains continue to lash the region.
Residents have accused the Tehsildar of Khawas of total negligence, alleging that no Patwari or Naib Tehsildar was dispatched to assess the situation, even as the scale of the disaster worsens daily.
Senior PDP leader Farooq Inqlabi has demanded that the government immediately declare a one-kilometer radius around the sinking zone as unfit for habitation, and evacuate families still at risk. He urged the administration to relocate the affected families, allot alternative land in safe areas, and provide full assistance for rebuilding their homes.
“This is not just a local issue — it’s a humanitarian crisis. The government must not wait for more destruction to act. The continuing rainfall is a serious threat to life in the area,” Inqlabi stated.
He further emphasized that the lack of a motorable road must not be used as an excuse for administrative failure, and demanded that the district administration mobilize resources, reach the affected area on foot if necessary, and start relief operations without delay.
Farooq Inqlabi personally visited the affected families, walked through the dangerous, rain-hit area, listened to their grievances, and assured them of his complete support. He also contacted ADC Kotranka and MLA Jawaid Iqbal Choudhary to report the urgency of the crisis and called for immediate intervention at the district and state levels.
