Slow-moving disaster: Mandi villages on brink of collapse
In the remote villages of Bagla and Pohl, tucked within Pipli Panchayat under the Jogindernagar subdivision of Mandi district, nearly two dozen Scheduled Caste families are facing a slow-moving disaster. Landslides and land subsidence have become a grim routine here, threatening both lives and homes with each passing monsoon. Yet, despite the mounting crisis, villagers allege that their pleas for help have been met with silence from the state government, local administration and the Public Works Department (PWD).
Concerned by the worsening conditions, Kushal Bhardwaj, state vice-president of the Himachal Kisan Sabha and Zila Parishad Member from Bharadu Ward, visited the area with a fact-finding team. The delegation surveyed the extent of the damage and spoke with the affected residents, many of whom have been living in fear and uncertainty for years.
Villagers such as Nikki Devi, Jagdish Chand, Basakhu Ram and others described how their homes have developed deep cracks due to repeated land movements. According to Bhardwaj, the root of the problem lies in the unscientific road excavation carried out by the PWD. Since the construction of the road, unstable slopes have made the terrain increasingly fragile. He recalled how the monsoon of 2022 triggered serious land subsidence around several homes, forcing families to abandon parts of their dwellings due to safety concerns.
Although the PWD had promised to build retaining walls along the road to stabilise the area, no such work has been carried out. Bhardwaj criticised both the previous and current governments for neglecting the issue, arguing that despite crores being spent on infrastructure, basic necessities remain out of reach for the residents. Many villagers, he said, still haul essential supplies on mules due to the lack of a motorable road.
Drainage, too, is a critical issue. Without any culverts or concrete drains, rainwater gushes down the road like a river during every monsoon, carving deeper gullies and weakening the foundations of nearby homes. The absence of proper water management has only amplified the erosion and instability in the area.
Adding to the villagers’ frustration is the meagre support they have received through government housing schemes. Several families have been granted only Rs 1.5 lakh — an amount barely enough to cover transportation costs for building materials in such difficult terrain. Meanwhile, no tarpaulin sheets have been provided to shield homes and cattle sheds from relentless rain, leaving both people and livestock vulnerable to further damage.
Residents of Pohl also voiced anger over the PWD’s practice of dumping construction debris into natural drains, which has diverted the flow of water towards their homes. The increased runoff now threatens to wash away what little remains. Many villagers lamented that, apart from Bhardwaj, no government official — let alone their MLA, Prakash Rana — has ever visited to assess the damage firsthand.
The desperation in these villages has reached a breaking point. Following the Kisan Sabha’s visit, a village meeting was held where residents unanimously agreed that they would no longer wait passively. If immediate measures are not taken, they plan to stage protests outside the offices of the PWD Executive Engineer and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate.
When contacted, Jogindernagar SDM Manish Chaudhary stated that field officers had been dispatched to conduct a survey and that action would be taken once the report is submitted. He added that, as of now, no official report of property loss had been received.
As heavy rains continue to batter the region, the future of Bagla and Pohl hangs in the balance. Their call is urgent: they need help now — before the hills they’ve called home for generations begin to crumble beyond repair.
Himachal Tribune