Mandi: Homes at Risk After Negligent Excavation, Retaining Walls Still Not Built
Four houses in danger
Mandi, July 6:
Residents of Madwahan village, located in the Talyahad ward under Mandi Municipal Corporation, are living in constant fear due to careless excavation carried out for the construction of the Mandi-Kotli National Highway (NH). Despite completing the excavation work long ago, the construction company has failed to erect essential retaining walls near residential areas, putting four homes at serious risk. Two of these houses have already been vacated as a precautionary measure.
Affected residents Manish Sharma and Hemlata said they live under constant fear that their homes could collapse at any moment. “We have sick and elderly family members who are extremely anxious. We’re unable to sleep at night or find peace during the day,” they shared. Despite repeated pleas, the construction company has not taken any action. “We’ve invested our life savings in these homes, and now everything is on the verge of being lost,” they added.
To protect their homes, residents have laid large tarpaulins along the slope, but with the onset of the monsoon, these temporary measures are proving insufficient.
Pradeep Sharma and Tek Singh Katoch, who are also affected, expressed frustration, saying the work required is not extensive and could have been completed quickly if the company showed the will to act. “The problem is not technical—it’s a matter of intent, which the company clearly lacks,” they said.
They acknowledged the administration’s support, mentioning that officials have summoned the company’s management multiple times, yet there has been no meaningful response. “Ironically, we gave up our land for highway development, and now we are left to face both danger and indifference from the very people responsible,” they said.
They also criticized local elected representatives for not even visiting the affected families or acknowledging their distress.
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