Even as government awaits report from a two-member of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) team on the root cause of land subsidence in Nai Basti village, another team of experts from Indian Institute of Technology in Jammu reached the village on Monday.
The IIT team comprising professor Anurag Mishra from the department of civil engineering and Dr Shiva Kumar from geo-tech engineering will also study the triggers responsible for land subsidence.
At least 22 houses were emptied on Friday and 300 people moved from Doda’s Nai Basti after cracks spread across several structures, leading to the collapse of at least three. The incident has drawn parallels to the crisis in Joshimath.
Doda deputy magistrate Vishesh Pal Mahajan said, “We are waiting for the GSI report, which is yet to be submitted to the government. As far as rehab of the affected families is concerned, they will be rehabilitated in accordance with disaster management rules.”
Thathri sub-divisional magistrate Athar Amin Zargar, said, “There are no further cracks and the zone of influence has also not spread since Thursday.”
On rehab, he said the administration will explore all aspects for proper rehabilitation of the affected families. Nineteen houses were severely affected and three collapsed since Thursday but there are no new cracks in the remaining houses so far,” he added.
Prof GM Bhat, a geologist at University of Jammu, who visited the village on Sunday, said, “I analysed the area and observed that water seepage from houses have caused the land subsidence. There is a small patch where water from houses kept seeping into the ground. Had it been detected and checked in time, the incident would not have happened.”
“There are no other reasons, which I found in my assessment,” he added.
HT reported in its columns on Monday that water seepage into the mountainside village in the absence of a proper drainage system, new constructions in recent years and being a sinking area of 1980s prima facie seem to be the triggers behind land subsidence in Nai Basti village. Doda falls under seismic 4 category and a sits over a fault line, where light to moderate intensity quake keep occurring frequently. Chenab River flows close to the village and the area gets moderate to heavy rainfall during monsoons.
