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Relentless agony for residents living in hilly area of the state as last year many people fled to Jammu for safety when series of earthquakes hit them, but now they have another problem as the land beneath the only surface link to the area - the Batote- Kishtwar highway is fast sinking making it a virtual deathtrap for the travellers.

While massive landslides and shooting stones has become a regular phenomenon on   Batote – Kishtwar highway and Doda- Bhaderwah road threatening the lives of thousands of  commuters, many saw these as an aftermath effect of the string  of earthquakes that hit the area last year .

It was for about seventh consecutive day today that the commuters travelling on the twin roads remained stranded for hours together due to the blockade caused by overnight landslides at Bhalla on Doda- Bhaderwah , besides Khalani and Jathi on Doda - Kishtwar  highway.

Abdul Qadar – a commuter told Greater Kashmir over phone that he left for Jammu from Bhaderwah at 8 am in the morning could reach Batote at 6.pm after remaining stranded for two hours at  Bhalla, for the same time at Kahlani and about one hour at Jathi. 

However, even as the frequent landslides on the roads have already claimed   about a dozen of lives, the situation that is turning grave with every passing day has yet to attract the attention of the state government.  Pertinently, Batote-Kishtwar highway has remained closed for vehicular movement for at least 14 days in the last one month. The road has even not been fully opened for the vehicular movement since December, last year, as the GREF, which is looking after the mountainous highway, has resorted to only cosmetic touches. While the protracted earthquakes and tremors followed by heavy snowfall and increscent rains this winter have added to their miseries, the residents are fret over the indifferent attitude of the government that has failed to respond. At least nine persons were killed on Saturday in two separate incidents of shooting stones on the highway.

“Even today at least half a dozen vehicles had close shave when they were hit by the shooting stones on the road, between Pul Doda and Thatri”, Jaffar Hussain, a local resident, who was on way to Jammu said.

People here said that the landslides and shooting stones were the result of recent earthquakes. “Incessant rains and snowfall is not new for this mountainous region. But  this year the landslides and sinking of land have become order of the day leading to  reasonable apprehension that the earthquakes have caused serious impact across Chenab Valley”, Rashid Zaffar, a lawyer and activist of Aam Admi Party in Kishtwar said.

Officials admit, though on the condition of anonymity, that the earthquakes have caused much damage than it appeared at that time. “We have been continuously receiving reports that the land at various villages is sinking. Even the highway, at various places, has caved in causing panic among the people living along it”, a senior government functionary said.
Ironically the government, over the last, few months has done nothing on the ground. “The district administrations are preparing reports and forwarding it to the state government. However, till today no action has been taken”, the officer admitted.

Source-On Request