Nine out of sixteen houses in the village of Lindur in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul and Spiti district have experienced structural cracks, with four of them now deemed "unsafe."
The villagers are urgently seeking a geological survey to determine the underlying cause of this subsidence, which has prompted around 70 residents to sleep outdoors out of fear for their homes' stability.
Agricultural land in the area has also been affected by these fractures.
The onset of the problem can be traced back to June and July when initial cracks appeared on the village's outskirts, which have since expanded and spread, posing a threat to the houses.
Sarita, the Pradhan of Goharama Gram Panchayat, highlighted that the seepage of water from the nearby Jahmala nullah, which experiences annual flooding, is a potential contributor to the structural issues. However, a precise assessment of the situation can only be made through a geological survey conducted by the Geological Department. As a result, they have made a formal request to the authorities for such a survey.
Officials have already visited the affected houses and given the option to the villagers to relocate to safer areas. Nonetheless, no one has opted to move out at this point, said Deputy Commissioner of Lahaul and Spiti, Rahul Kumar.
Though the situation is being managed, the villagers remain anxious. The Tehsildar has received instructions to provide immediate relief to the affected families.
Efforts to resolve the seepage issue have also been initiated, with appeals to the government for the canalisation of the Jahmala nullah to address the problem impacting two to three panchayats. In addition, the district administration has reached out to the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi, requesting a study to identify the cause and propose suitable remedies for the situation.
This occurrence echoes a similar incident earlier this year in Joshimath, neighboring Uttarakhand, where extensive cracks in houses, fields, and roads rendered the town unsafe for habitation, resulting in the relocation of a significant number of residents to safer locations.