CHANDIGARH: A redux of Joshimath, being blamed for ambitious infrastructure projects, is unfolding in parts of Himachal Pradesh. Take a look: cracks have appeared in Meeru village in Kinnaur district. Several villages along the Kiratpur-Manali highway complain of the sudden appearance of cracks in their homes.
The main road leading to McLeodganj (the capital of the Tibetan government-in-exile) from Dharamsala is sinking in many places, and the iconic Ridge in Shimla may turn unsafe soon, threatening the British-era landmarks that adorn the place. The common thread running through the tragedy-in-the-making is massive construction work -- tunnelling work for a hydel project in some remote village or road widening works in places where the strength of the soil is now being questioned.
Geologists have set alarm bells ringing for McLeodganj in Dharamsala. Geologist AK Mahajan says one needs to identify and do small-scale landslide mapping to avert disasters. “We must also study the drainage system in the hill towns. Road-cutting and tunnel boring need to be done with scientific methods and not haphazardly as it is the main cause of destruction,” he said, warning that the state government should take immediate steps to prevent a Joshimath-like situation in McLeodganj as landslides have become common.
Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal says though discussions have taken place about the threat to McLeodganj, no scientific report has ever been submitted. “We have sought a detailed report from the Municipal Commissioner and Town and Country Planner regarding the veracity of such reports. If the situation so warrants, we would indeed work with experts and stakeholders.’’
Tikenber Singh Panwar, former deputy mayor of Shimla and a leading environmentalist, told this paper that people have been informing the authorities about cracks in houses in Meeru village of Kinnaur district. “The perception is that the 1,100MW Karcham-Wangtoo project and construction of highways have brought the situation to this pass,” he says.
“Due to this project, the socio-ecological perspectives of the environment of the surrounding region have been directly and indirectly affected. The results are cracks in houses, landslides and reduced crop output, says Pawar.
Tragedy-in-the-making in hill state
Haphazard constructions, big infrastructure projects such as hydel power stations and insensitive cutting of hills have caused softening of the soil around and subsequent cracks in the houses. Some of the instances are:
The main road leading to McLeodganj (capital of the Tibetan govt-in-exile) from Dharamsala is sinking in many places
The iconic Ridge in Shimla may turn unsafe soon. Substantial damage to Ridge may raise safety concerns about many Raj-era structures
Cracks have appeared in Meeru village in Kinnaur district, which has a hydel power unit nearby
Several villages along the Kiratpur-Manali highway too have cracks in their homes.
We must identify and do small-scale landslide mapping to avert disasters. We must also study the drainage system in the hill towns.
AK Mahajan, Geologist