Against all odds: Man defies road widening project to save home filled with memories
Dec 08, 2023
Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 8 : In the face of a looming demolition, one man's love for his late wife refused to be extinguished. Jagmohan Singh, a resident of Jammu, is undertaking a remarkable feat to preserve the memories of his wife; moving his entire four-story house 160 feet away from its original location.
"In 2017, I built this house with my wife with the support of our family. My wife designed each section of this house. It was a labour of love, and it's full of memories for us. But now, it's in the way of a road-widening project. The National Highway Authority official said that it has to be demolished," said the house owner Jagmohan Singh. 
This house was more than just bricks and mortar for Singh and his wife. They built it together in 2017, pouring their love and hard work into every detail. Tragically, Singh's wife lost her life to COVID-19, leaving a void that the house itself helped fill with memories.
Jagmohan Singh has hired a specialized company to move his entire four-story house nearly 160 feet away from its current location to avoid demolition for a road widening project.
"I can't bear the thought of losing this house. It's more than just bricks and mortar. It's a symbol of our love and our life together. I heard that it's possible to move houses, so I did some internet research. I found a company that specializes in house relocation. They said it would cost around 50 to 60 lakh rupees, but I didn't care. The memories of my wife are worth more than anything," said Jagmohan Singh.
Through his research online, he discovered a Haryana-based company, HSBL, that specialized in house lifting and relocation. This innovative technology offered a ray of hope. Despite the hefty cost of 50-60 lakh rupees, Jagdeep Singh agreed to the shifting of the house.
"The total cost of shifting the building is around 50-60 lakh because 20-25 lakh is only labour cost," Singh explained. "We are shifting this building 160 feet. Risk cover has been guaranteed by the HSBL company. Somehow, we are trying to save our house, to save my wife's memories. At that time, the cost of construction of this building was Rs 1 crore."
"The company has taken responsibility for any mishaps that may occur during the relocation. They're confident that they can move the house safely and efficiently. I know it's a long shot, but I'm hoping that we can save this house. My daughter says that even if her mother is gone, she'll always remember her if we can keep the house," further added Singh.
HSBL, a company from Haryana has taken full responsibility for the project, guaranteeing against any mishaps during the house relocation. The shifting is expected to be completed within the next three months.
"We are doing jack work," said Dhoom Singh, manager of HSBL.
"We are reducing building shifting in the country. We are doing work on building shifting. We will do it. The basement is already dug. We will complete it. This is the first time in Jammu," concluded Dhoom Singh, manager of HSBL.
