Khari (Bantalab), September 13, 2025 : The dreams of many families in Khari village, Jammu, lie in ruins after a sudden and severe land subsidence left their homes destroyed and hopes shattered. Mohammad Javaid, along with dozens of others, now lives under fragile tents after his two-storied house, built with years of hard-earned savings, collapsed due to sinking ground.
Javaid recalled, “For the past six to seven days, the land in our village has been sinking. It started with small cracks after rains stopped around September 3, but now there are deep fissures nearly four to five feet wide. We have nothing left but the tents provided by the administration.”
Similar stories echoed across the region, where over 100 houses in Khari and nearby areas such as Kanger, Lower and Upper Bermini, Guraa, Chaata, and Undue Sarari have either cracked or entirely sunk into the earth following relentless rains since August 30.
Experts believe that excessive water saturation in the hilly terrain led to this catastrophe. An official said, “Security forces are deployed to prevent re-entry into unsafe homes spanning 800 to 900 kanals of land.”
Among those affected, Gulam Mohammad (69) fears further collapse: “My house submerged five to six feet deep on September 5. We barely managed to bring out household goods and family.”
Mehram Bibi and Muskaan (35) described how their homes crumbled within minutes, leaving them dependent on Army rations and the goodwill of kind-hearted people.
“Where will we go as the rains continue and the land keeps sinking?” questioned Mehram Bibi, urging immediate government action.
Authorities have provided temporary tents but acknowledged these are far from a permanent solution. The administration is preparing detailed estimates of losses and prioritizing permanent rehabilitation for the displaced families.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, while visiting affected areas recently, had assured speedy and better-quality rebuilding efforts. However, the desperate cries for relocation to safer zones continue to mount, as families live in fear of further calamities.
Experts are expected to visit the site soon for comprehensive assessment, and a long-term plan to prevent future disasters is yet to be outlined.
