DEHRADUN: A recent wave of devastating landslides across the Doon Valley, following torrential downpours, has raised serious concerns over reckless construction practices and safety norms in Uttarakhand’s capital.
Geologists have warned that development, particularly in the foothills of Mussoorie, is dangerously encroaching upon highly unstable zones.
According to research conducted by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in collaboration with the Department of Geology at HNBGU Garhwal Central University, the region spanning from Maldevta to Bidhouli has been identified as a highly sensitive zone.
The primary reason for this vulnerability is attributed to the existence of a 10-million-year-old fault line, known as the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), which continues to remain active. This fault line plays a significant role in the region's geological dynamics.
Professor M.P.S. Bisht, Head of Geology at HNB Garhwal University, stressed the instability: "The activity along this fault means that rocks millions of years old are currently overriding the Doon sediments, which are only about 25,000 years old. Normally, older rocks should be lower, but movement in this active fault zone is causing this dangerous overthrusting."
This geological instability demands extreme caution with regard to new construction. Experts suggest that building permits on steep slopes in areas like Maldevta should be immediately halted, and building heights strictly regulated.
The recent cloudbursts and lightning strikes in areas such as Sahasradhara have also been linked to the region’s geology. Prof. Bisht noted that the same limestone sensitivity that led to the ban on mining is now attracting more lightning.
"Limestone hills, due to their specific chemical properties, generate positive energy on a large scale through ionisation," Prof. Bisht told TNIE. "This process attracts atmospheric lightning."
He elaborated on the mechanism: "When oxygen from the rain interacts with atmospheric nitrogen, it breaks down nitrogen atoms, forming nitrates (N₂O), which release significant negative energy. When this energy meets positive ions, grounding occurs, and lightning strikes precisely where this grounding is generated."
While lightning strikes cause rocks to crack, exacerbating damage during heavy rains, Prof. Bisht concluded that modern, advanced lightning conductors could mitigate the resulting structural damage.