Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 16 : The restoration work of the Kotranka-Khawas road in Rajouri began on Tuesday after it suffered severe damage due to heavy rains and landslides, officials said.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Kornataka Dilmir Choudhary informed that the administration has organised medical camps at different places, stating that a new road will be constructed in place of the Kotranka-Khawas road, for which short-term tender notices have been released.
"Damage is there and restoration work is underway...Our doctors are organising camps at different places...Because the Kotranka-Khawas road is severely damaged, we will have to construct a new road. We have released a short-term tender notice, and the allotment process is underway. We have started the construction work...The government has also sanctioned some funds for this," Dilmir Choudhary told ANI.
The recently constructed Kotranka-Khawas road, spanning 32 kilometres in Rajouri district, suffered severe damage due to persistent heavy rainfall and landslides in the region for the past two weeks. The road, completed in the 2023-24 period, serves as a vital connection between the Kotranka sub-division and the Khawas tehsil.
However, for the past 15 days, the route has remained completely disconnected, creating widespread distress among residents. The disruption has significantly affected daily life. Students are unable to attend school, and transporting the sick to medical facilities has become extremely challenging, according to locals. Many villagers are being forced to walk 15 to 20 kilometres on foot to access essential services.
However, road reconstruction efforts have been paused due to ongoing land subsidence, which continues to pose a significant challenge.
"For the past 15 days, the road has been closed here. The road has been damaged due to floods. There are other links which are connected with this road. Because of this, the elderly and the school children are facing a lot of difficulties. No one from the administration has come to repair the road. We request that the road be restored," Jatinder Sharma, living in Badhal village in Rajouri district, told ANI on Tuesday.
In certain sections, land subsidence (sinking) has exacerbated the crisis, placing large areas at risk. At least seven houses have been severely impacted, with one two-story house shifting approximately 50 metres from its original site while still remaining upright. Such incidents have caused widespread panic among residents.
According to Additional Deputy Commissioner Kotranka (ADC) Dilmir Choudhary, residents from the most affected areas have been evacuated to safer locations. The local administration is providing full support, ensuring the supply of essential items such as food and other necessities. Relief and compensation efforts are actively underway.
Compensation files for the affected families are being processed and will be finalised soon, according to the official. The entire region is under constant surveillance to respond quickly to any emergencies.
Meanwhile, in Poonch, nearly 400 residents of Kalaban village in Mendhar sub-division have been shifted to temporary shelters after several houses developed cracks due to land subsidence triggered by continuous rainfall.
Authorities, with the support of a local NGO, are providing relief material and essentials to the displaced families. The administration has declared Kalaban unsafe and directed residents to evacuate until further notice.