Hajin: Fresh cracks have appeared in shops and house after a road caved in along the Jhelum embankments in Hajin on Thursday morning, leaving residents deeply concerned.
Mehraj Uddin, a local shopkeeper, told Kashmir Reader, “When we woke up, we saw massive cracks in our shop, which created panic among our family members. We immediately started moving equipment and goods to safer places to prevent damage.”
Several houses have also developed cracks, forcing families to shift their belongings to secure locations.
Residents alleged that authorities have neglected their safety and that the concerned department should have taken preventive measures in advance.
“They have left us to die here. The road has completely caved in, cutting off our connectivity with the district headquarters,” a local resident said.
People accused the authorities of acting only after the road collapsed.
“Where were they all this time? What they plan to do now could have been done much earlier,” they said, adding that officials seem indifferent to their suffering.
Ghulam Hassan, another resident, blamed the authorities for failing to begin restoration work on time.
“If they had taken timely measures, we wouldn’t be facing this crisis,” he said.
Meanwhile, senior leader Imtiyaz Parray has offered shelter to affected families at his home until the road is restored.
MLA Sonawari, Hilal Akbar Lone, toured Hajin on Thursday to assess the situation. He assured residents that the concerned department would restore the road on a war-footing basis.
“I have raised this issue with the chief engineer, and restoration work will begin shortly,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Bandipora, while addressing media persons regarding the recent road collapse in Hajin, assured that the administration’s top priority is to relocate the affected families to safer places.
“We have kept two schools ready to accommodate them,” he stated.
We will also work on stabilizing the embankments through the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, and hopefully, the work will be completed soon,” he added.