Amir Tantray
Ramban, Jun 7: Things have started coming back to near normal here after 40 days of a nightmare of an event which had forced several families to run for safety when a huge portion of a mountain started sinking in Pernote area of Ramban district.
The Border Roads Organization (BRO) has been able to restore the road link connecting district headquarters Ramban with Gool area.
On April 25, people of Pernote village observed cracks developing in their houses which were increasing with every passing minute. Within a few hours the area witnessed one of the biggest nightmares when people left all their belongings behind and started running for the safety.
“We will not forget that day when the entire area started witnessing a mass migration due to natural calamity. We saw people in herds leaving the area and looking for the safe zones to save their lives. It was a nightmare and people are yet to come out of the shock,” said a policeman, posted in nearby IRP battalion.
At present BRO people are busy in keeping the newly carved road open by pushing bulldozers and other earthmoving machinery as the road is developing huge potholes due to continuous sinking of the area. The road has been constructed to give a motor able option to people living in Dharamkund, Sangaldan and Gool areas who otherwise were through Digdol link road which is quite difficult and dangerous for common people to pass.
The existing road through Pernote is the easiest and shortest possible route available for people of Gool and other areas to reach district headquarters Ramban and for over a month people suffered a lot when the road got damaged.
Around 500 people of 74 families were directly affected by this sinking and they are now living in different areas either on rent or with their relatives. The district administration has provided cash relief to the affected families and few families are still residing in Panchayat Ghar Pernote till the time they get some alternate arrangement.
An official of district administration said that they are looking for state land nearby for the affected families so that they can construct their houses again and live the life like what they had been doing in the past. “Many families have shifted to their relatives or to other places where they had options but they still are waiting for the administration to provide the land. There is no chance of rehabilitation in the affected zone as it is still dangerous to live there,” he added.
