Land sinks in Samba village, families evacuated as houses on verge of collapse

Closure of schools extended till Tuesday amid heavy rains | 500 houses suffer damage in heavy rains, flash floods in Doda

02/09/2025

JAMMU, Sep 1: The sinking of a large chunk of land triggered by heavy rain has pushed houses to the brink of collapse in a hamlet of Samba district, prompting authorities to evacuate families to safer places.
"Due to the floods triggered by heavy rain over the past few days in Samba, cracks have appeared in roads and houses near Jamoda village. The village is located on the Samba-Mansar-Udhampur road. Land subsidence has pushed eight houses to the verge of collapse," an official said on Monday.
In view of the situation, a team of the administration rushed to the village and took immediate action by evacuating people from all the houses and shifting them to safer places, officials said.
The affected families have been provided with relief material and accommodation in a school and some government buildings, they mentioned further.
Mohammad Anwar, a villager who left the hamlet and shifted his family to a government accommodation, said the situation worsened following heavy rain over the past few days.
"The current situation is such that the land beneath our houses is sliding completely, and a long crack has developed across a half-kilometre stretch. This fissure has also extended to the middle of the main road along the Mansar route, running parallel to the hillside," said Anwar, who lives in the Scheduled Tribe basti of Jamoda hamlet.
The houses of the Jamoda settlement in the Nud block — built on a small elevated patch along the Samba-Mansar-Udhampur road — have been severely affected, officials noted, adding that while some houses developed cracks after the first spell of rain, the situation has now worsened to the extent that every house in the area is on the verge of collapse.
"We are 10 to 12 families living here. Most of the houses have developed big cracks, and these widen every day," another villager named Shoib Mohammad said, adding that it all began with the first spell of heavy rains on August 27. "Yesterday’s rains did more damage," he added.
In the wake of heavy rains forecast, authorities in Jammu on Monday extended the closure of all government and private schools by another day, while the University of Jammu also postponed all examinations till September 4.
In a forecast issued this evening, the local meteorological office predicted moderate to heavy rainfall in most parts of Jammu division on September 2 and 3.
"There is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall over Kathua, Jammu, Udhampur and Reasi and moderate to heavy rainfall over Doda, Samba, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban, and Kishtwar in Jammu region and Anantnag and Kulgam in south Kashmir mainly towards late night of September 2 or early morning of September 3 till late afternoon," a spokesperson of the Met office said.
There is a possibility of cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides or shooting of stones from hillocks at many vulnerable places and rise in water level in rivers and streams, he said, asking people to stay away from water bodies and avoid landslide-prone areas.
More than 130 people, mostly pilgrims, have been killed and over 120 injured while 33 remained untraced following cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods in Kishtwar, Kathua, Reasi and Ramban districts since August 14.
The record rainfall on August 26-27 also caused flash floods in low-lying areas in Jammu and other plains, causing widespread damage to public and private properties.
There was no work in the schools last week owing to their closure as a precautionary measure amid inclement weather.
"In view of the weather alerts and incessant rainfall causing landslides in hilly areas, and in order to ensure the safety of students and staff, it is hereby ordered that all government and private schools across Jammu division shall continue to remain closed on September 2," Naseem Javaid Chowdhary, Director School Education, Jammu, said in an order here.
Additionally, he directed that online classes be conducted wherever possible.
University of Jammu also issued a notification to inform its students that all the examinations scheduled to be held on September 2, 3 and 4 are postponed.
Fresh dates will be notified later on, the university said.
As many as 500 houses have suffered damage due to heavy rains and flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, with relief and rehabilitation operations underway in the affected areas to restore essential supplies and road networks.
"A total of 50 houses have been fully damaged, 100 houses severely damaged, and 350 residential buildings partially damaged. Fourteen animals have lost their lives, and five human lives were lost," Deputy Commissioner Doda Harvinder Singh said on Monday.
Singh, who is overseeing the relief and rescue operations in the flood-hit areas of the district, said, "We have credited Rs 4 lakh compensation to each of the affected families."
He said that the heavy rains that occurred from August 25 to 27 in Doda resulted in major losses and damages.
"The entire administration went from home to home, monitoring and assessing the situation at the grassroots level. Normal life is being brought back on track," he said.
On the restoration of surface communication, he said that fully damaged roads have been temporarily restored. "The highway, Bhaderwah road, and PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) roads have been restored."
Asserting that the damage is huge and widespread, the DC said that it will take time to cover these losses. "The funds we receive from time to time, or any package given to us, will be used for permanent restoration," he said.
Pointing towards a fresh advisory about rains on Tuesday in the district, he said, "We request everyone to remain cautious, as heavy rains are predicted for tomorrow. We must be prepared, and nobody should go near water bodies."

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