5 families to be allotted alternate land under PMAY (G)
*Several other actions taken to prevent further damage to area
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Nov 10: The District Administration in Doda has imposed a complete ban on the engineering activities within a 500-meter radius of the disaster-hit Nai Basti area of Thathri town.
This decision aligns with the recommendations of a joint panel led by the Chief Secretary and formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to develop short and long-term plans to mitigate further environmental damage in the area.
The NGT’s joint committee headed by Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, with the Principal Secretary to the Government, Forest Ecology, and Environment Department as Member-Convenor, included experts from various institutions such as the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology Dehradun, Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalaya and Environment, and the National Institute of Hydrology, among others. This panel was established in response to a news report on the collapse of 24 structures in Nai Basti area of Doda on February 3, 2023.
After conducting site visits and engaging with the stakeholders, the joint committee repeatedly recommended various interventions to prevent further damage to the area.
These recommendations included prohibiting engineering activities near the landslide-affected areas, constructing a 400 meter retention wall with deep holes near the base of the landslide area, sealing cracks around buildings with cement slurry, restoring natural diversions and drainage channels, and creating geo-tagged data on natural and man-made resources besides several other recommendations.
The Deputy Commissioner Doda was directed by the joint committee to develop an action plan based on these recommendations.
Consequently, the District Doda Administration has taken several actions to prevent the damage to the environment in the disaster-hit area.
One of the major decisions that the District Administration has taken in this direction is directing the Executive Officer, Municipal Council Thathri, to ensure that no engineering work happens in the affected area. Further, all the executing agencies have been directed to avoid any engineering activity within an area circumscribing 500 meters of the affected area of Nai Basti.
The Administration has also decided that a detailed proposal regarding the construction of a retention wall of around 400 metre with deep holes (DPR amounting to Rs 548.98 lakhs), shall be referred to the expert members of the joint committee which may revisit the same and offer their technical inputs on the sufficiency or otherwise of the proposal to offer protection to the area. The works may thereafter be executed, after reducing the cost estimates, if it is felt that the same shall be adequate and sufficient to prevent any further damage to untoward incident.
The district administration has further agreed to the construction of sewerage disposal lines of 2000 meters through the PW(R&B) Department with Rs 37.64 lakhs. The funds for the construction of the sewerage disposal lines would be borne by the District Administration under the District Plans.
Meanwhile, the District Doda Administration has also decided that a detailed proposal regarding construction of a 402 meters gabion structure and river training works by way of removal of silt depositions from right bank of river Chenab (DPR amounting to Rs 597.71 lakhs) shall be referred to the expert members of the joint committee, which may revisit the same and offer their technical inputs on the sufficiency or otherwise of the proposals to offer protection to the areas. The works may thereafter be executed, after reducing the cost estimates, if it is felt that the same shall be sufficient to prevent any further damage or untoward incident.
Additionally, the Administration has claimed that it has been given a go-ahead for the proposal for creation of a geo-portal containing data of all concerned departments, research institutes/agencies as recommended by the joint committee in its various reports.
The administration has got an approval to go-ahead for the preparation of a geomorphic map of affected area and other vulnerable sites in the district as sought by the joint committee.
The District administration has also been given a nod for detailed landslide hazard zonation of the area with the help of GSI as proposed.
Additionally, the Doda Administration has been given the approval for mapping of Thathri type foot slope zones of hill spurs at 1:10000 scales as proposed.
Further, the joint committee had suggested rehabilitation of the landslide affected people to a suitable safer location within the framework of the applicable laws.
On this, the District Doda Administration has informed the Joint Committee that 3 structures have been damaged completely and 11 others severely in the disaster.
Out of an initially reported 19 cases, the District Administration has found 14 cases eligible for relief.
However, as per the administration, none of the house owners are found to be the owners of the lands on which the houses have been built, the land being either Shamlat Deh or Kahcharai land.
Since the occupants are illegal, according to the administration, they don’t fall under SDRF norms for payment of relief or compensation. Further in 5 cases, the occupants are landless and don’t possess land elsewhere.
Accordingly, the administration has decided to provide alternate land to 5 cases of the landless persons, as per the policy, under PMAY(G).
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