Land subsidence leaves dozens homeless in J&K’s Khari village

Under a flimsy tarpaulin stretched across farmland, Mohammad Javaid sits in disbelief. Just a week ago, the 45-year-old lived with his family of six in a two-storied house he had built with years of savings and hard labour. Today, that dream lies in ruins after land subsidence swallowed his home in Khari village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district.

“For the past six to seven days, the land has been sinking. It started with cracks in our homes after the rains ended around 3 September. Now, the ground has sunk four to five feet deep,” Javaid said, his eyes brimming with tears. “I spent lakhs building that house. It’s all gone. We sleep in the open fields under tarpaulins. The government has given us tents, but how can that replace a home? Nearly 25 houses here are destroyed.”

Khari, once called the “green engine of Jammu” for its lush hillsides, now resembles a quake-hit zone — cracked earth, sunken houses, collapsed walls and roofs. Residents have pitched tents for shelter, alongside salvaged belongings and cattle. With power and water supply cut off and road connectivity snapped by floods, families spend hours in the open, huddled under trees.

Across Jammu, land subsidence has been reported at 19 locations in Ramban, Kishtwar, Poonch, Reasi, and Kathua districts following torrential rains and flash floods in late August that displaced nearly 3,000 people.

In Khari, 69-year-old Gulam Mohammad described how his house “collapsed and sank” within hours on 5 September. “Every day the ground sinks further. The rations and tents help, but this is too risky. We need permanent relocation,” he said.

For others, the ordeal was even swifter. Mehram Bibi recalled how her home caved in within minutes, burying all belongings. “We survived only by God’s grace. We live now on army rations, but how long can that last?” she asked, trembling. Muskaan, 35, broke down as she explained how her new home was nearly complete when the land gave way. “We were about to move in. Now I’ve sent my family to relatives. We’re on the streets.”

Similar devastation has struck the Bermini area on the outskirts of Jammu city, where more than 50 homes have been damaged or destroyed since 30 August. Cracks run through at least 100 houses across Khari, Kanger, Bermini and other panchayats. Officials say excessive water saturation in hilly terrain after days of heavy rainfall likely triggered the subsidence.

Security personnel have barred villagers from re-entering unstable homes, while experts are set to assess the worst-hit areas. But for families like Razvi Bibi’s, survival remains the immediate concern. “We salvaged a few items, but lost everything else. We live with our cattle under the open sky,” she said.

Maqbool, from Lower Bermini, counted more than 50 houses collapsed within a 1 km stretch since 31 August. In another case, Abdullah Hamid lost his entire cattle shed as the ground gave way. “We survived, but our animals didn’t. Now we are crammed in a school building, waiting for rehabilitation,” he said.

As the rains continue and the ground keeps sinking, villagers in Khari and beyond say they are living with one question: not whether more homes will collapse — but when.

With PTI inputs