64 Shimla families told to vacate houses

Shimla, August 14

The administration has ordered 42 families in Dhalli and Lower Cemetery, eight each in New Shimla and Vikasnagar and three each in Phagli and Krishna Nagar to vacate their houses in the wake of landslides triggered by heavy rain on Monday. These houses have been declared unsafe by the authorities.

“We had spent our lifetime earnings to buy a house from HIMUDA only to vacate this way one day,” rued Amit, whose house at Himuda Colony, Phase-III, Sector 5, New Shimla, was declared unsafe by the tehsildar after an inspection. Amit, along with his mother, has shifted to one of their relatives houses till the retaining wall and stairs are rebuilt and the house restoration was done.

Nine private houses, six in Upper Dhalli and three in lower Cemetery, near Bowari, were also declared unsafe on Tuesday. 

“Debris dumped uphill flowed down and washed away a portion of the support base of houses in Lower Cemetery,” said Govind Chatranta, a resident.

SDM, Shimla (rural), Neeraj Kumar said, “We have asked 42 families to vacate their houses. Although they were offered stay at Janjatiya Bhawan, Dhalli, they shifted to the houses of their friends or relatives”.

He said they had directed the authorities to raise protective walls there. “In all, more than 28 houses were damaged in Kusumpti and Shimla rural”, he added.

On the other hand, six affected families,  three each at Krishna Nagar and Kainthla house, Phagli, await rehabilitation.  SDM (urban) Neeraj Chandla said, “We had made arrangements for the families of Krishna Nagar at a gurdwara, but they refused. They will be now shifted to somr other places.” — TNS