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Time of India
13-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Himachal's Lindur village sinking, locals oppose relocation site
Kullu: Lindur, a high-altitude Himalayan village in Himachal Pradesh, is sinking and the administration has identified land to relocate its residents, but it's not where locals want to move. Located at an altitude of around 3,300 metres in the remote Udaipur subdivision of the tribal district of Lahaul Spiti, Lindur has been facing land subsidence since 2023. As much as 39 bighas of agricultural land lies damaged, and cracks have appeared in all 14 houses of the village, as well as on the walls of a monastery. On the demand of the villagers, scientists and researchers from Geological Survey of India (GSI) and IIT-Mandi conducted investigations in Nov 2023 and concluded that the clock was ticking on Lindur and the villagers needed to be rehabilitated. According to the GSI study, Lindur sits on unstable moraine debris, devoid of any rock base, and water seepage is triggering land subsidence. Continuous seepage from Jahlma Nala, a glacial rivulet, plus irrigation channels and monsoon rain work as catalysts for the subsidence. Lahaul Spiti administration identified an 8-bigha patch of forest land in Udaipur subdivision to relocate Lindur. It is located in Norjom Got, near Gohrma village. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Warren Buffett Says These 5 Books Are a Must-Read for 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Gohrma panchayat has given its no objection certificate (NOC) and the proposal to relocate Lindur has been sent to state govt, Lahaul Spiti deputy commissioner Kiran Bhadana told TOI. "We have moved the proposal and a reply from govt is awaited. As soon as the proposal is accepted, we will start the groundwork. The Lindur village land will be acquired and the residents will be compensated," said Bhadana. Lindur residents, however, say 8 bighas is not sufficient for them. "We are all farmers and have lost our land in Lindur. If the residents are shifted to the site proposed by the administration, then we will be able to only build our houses there. All of us will become landless. What will people do without land, their only source of income?" asked Hira Lal Rashpa, a Lindur resident who has been campaigning to relocate the village for the last two years. Lindur residents had themselves identified land in Aragot, above Gohrma village, around 3km from Lindur, where they can not only build homes but also have enough to continue farming. However, Gohrma panchayat has not yet given its NOC for this. "Gohrma residents are not willing to give us the land in Aragot. This is forest land and cannot be used to build houses or for agriculture without Union govt approval. We have also brought this issue to the notice of our MLA Anuradha Rana and requested her to help us out," added Rashpa.
The Hindu
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Himachal's remote Lahaul-Spiti district leads the way in women empowerment
Himachal Pradesh's tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti has demonstrated a distinctiveness surrounding 'women empowerment' – leading the way - all the key positions in its administrative setup are now held by women. Last week, the State government appointed Kiran Bhadana, a 2017-batch IAS officer, as the first woman Deputy Commissioner of Lahaul-Spiti — a tribal district known for its customary exclusion of daughters, particularly married ones, from inheritance rights. This appointment marks a progressive step in a region where traditional norms have long dictated property succession. Interestingly, following this appointment, as many as seven women are now at the helm of governance and administrative affairs in this remote district. The Congress government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, through focused policies has been working to uplift the socio-economic standards of people residing in the tribal and far flung areas of Himachal Pradesh. Holding the policing command of the district is Ilma Afroz (IPS), who is currently the Superintendent of Police, while the constituency is represented by MLA Anuradha Rana, elected during the 2024 bye-elections. Akansha Sharma is the Sub-Divisional Magistrate stationed at Keylong while Shikha Simitia is the Additional Deputy Commissioner at Kaza. Veena Devi is the Chairperson of Zila Parishad. Lahaul and Spiti Assembly constituency and the district both comes under the Mandi parliamentary constituency, which is represented by another woman – actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, who was elected as Member of Parliament in 2022. With a sparse population of around 40,000, including 25,967 voters, Lahaul-Spiti spans an expansive area of 13,814 square kilometers, making it one of the most thinly populated regions in the country. The State government has prioritised development in remote and tribal regions. In a first, 'Himachal Day' was celebrated at Kaza in Spiti Valley, in 2023. Besides, the State also launched the first phase of its flagship programme, the 'Indira Gandhi Pyari Behana Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojna', from Kaza, providing ₹1,500 per month to eligible women above the age of 18. In its outreach to far away areas, the State government celebrated this year's 'Himachal Day at Pangi, another remote region of Chamba district in the State.
