"There is a possibility of earth sinking due to movement of water under the soil.The residents in flood-affected areas, particularly those where water logging was for long periods, should be careful," Chief Engineer Roads and Buildings Department Satish Razdan told reporters here.
He said the next three months are critical and residents of flooded areas should observe their houses for any cracks, which can lead to collapse of the structure.
Razdan cited the example of Dawood Khaki bridge in Baba Demb area, saying some part of the bridge sank several days after the flood water had receded in the areas.
"Same is the case in Pulwama where some part of a bridge sank in six days after water receded".
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The official said his department, which is mandated with certifying the safety of the buildings in flood-affected areas, gave priority to hospitals and were now focusing on schools.
Razdan said there were thousands of school buildings in Kashmir affected by the floods and it will take a long time to ascertain safety of these buildings.
"Our engineers have multiple tasks at hand.They are part of the loss assessment teams also.It will take long time to certify all the schools affected by flood," he said.
Razdan said his department has formed five teams for the purpose of certifying safety of buildings in flood-hit areas.
"Of these, 181 structures including 54 bridges have collapsed completely," he said.
The official said nearly 1700 km of road length has been damaged or washed away by the floods last month.