Shimla, Aug. 14 -- Owing to land subsidence, residents of Shakrala village on the outskirts of Shimla live in fear as around 150 houses in the area have developed cracks, raising safety concerns and leading many residents to consider relocation.

The residents have urged the administration to conduct a detailed soil and geological assessment and put in place an effective engineering and drainage solution as the area for over two years has been witnessing subsidence of land which gets aggravated in monsoon.

Officials in the know blame the surface water, unplanned and haphazard construction that is adversely affecting the stability. "For the last two to three years, the land has been continuously sinking. Cracks keep appearing again and ag...