Jammu, Sept. 16 -- People living in majestic Pir Panjal and Shivalik ranges in Jammu region built their dream homes believing the mountains would shelter them, but now they are forced to leave their villages which have started "sinking" due to land subsidence caused by heavy rains. Eleven villages in Ramban, Reasi, Jammu, and Poonch are facing a Uttarakhand's Joshimath-like sinking crisis since September 5, as cracks have appeared in houses, fertile fields are disappearing and families are fleeing their ancestral homes in fear and uncertainty.
More than 3,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in these villages, officials said.
Land sinking in Ramban district's Tangar village near the Sawalakot hydel project has damaged 22 to 25...