J-K: 400 shifted to shelters as land subsidence damages houses in Poonch

Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 15 (ANI): Nearly 400 residents of Kalaban village in Mendhar sub-division of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district have been shifted to temporary shelters after several houses developed cracks due to land subsidence triggered by continuous rainfall, officials said on Monday.
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.
On September 13, nearly 700 people were affected, and about 95 houses were damaged after days of heavy rain. Families housed in relief camps are being supplied with food, drinking water and other basic amenities, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Vaishno Devi yatra remained suspended for the 20th consecutive day on Sunday due to adverse weather and repeated landslides along the Katra route. Devotees expressed disappointment but welcomed arrangements.
"We could not have darshan because of the rainfall up there. But we are lucky to have prasad here. People are coming from far away, and at least they are getting prasad. I am just happy to be here," said Durgesh Sharma, a devotee from Delhi.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), in a post on X, said the yatra scheduled to resume on September 14 had been postponed due to incessant rainfall, and urged pilgrims to follow official updates.
Meanwhile, in Udhampur district, long traffic jams were reported on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) at Thard on Sunday, where only one lane is operational after a massive landslide.
Officials said thousands of vehicles, including nearly 2,000 trucks, were stranded as the temporary road created by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) cannot handle heavy traffic.
Deputy SP (Traffic) Udhampur, Jatinder Singh, said the makeshift stretch could accommodate only around 40 trucks per hour, leading to severe congestion and delays of up to two hours. (ANI)