When the hill shook : The Tribune India

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When the hill shook

It was well past midnight on August 12.

When the hill shook

Trail of destruction: Rescuers search for survivors at the site of a landslide, which swept away two passenger buses, at Kotropi village near Mandi, some 150 km from Manali. Photos: Jai Kumar



Bhanu P Lohumi in Shimla

It was well past midnight on August 12. It was cold, rainy. Bus passengers from Chamba to Manali and from Manali to Katra were busy sipping much-needed tea at Kotropi village (near Mandi), some 150 km from Manali. The buses were parked in opposite direction. Suddenly, a monstrous mass of mud and silt crashed down a hill and pounced upon the waiting buses. Huge rock pieces tore down the vehicles as the accumulated debris tossed the hangers-on into a jabbing judder. The bus drivers had turned on the ignition key in a hurry to escape. But it was too late.

The earth had shaken. Screams followed as the landslide devoured 47 people. A shallow pond reportedly formed around the twisted, buried vehicles. 

Yet the tragedy is incomplete: though almost all know why a part of the hill collapsed, none has the will to find ways to stopping a recurrence. 

Some villagers told a team of geologists that they had noticed some boulders falling that day. “Many villagers living along the highway in that section had vacated their homes,” says Tek Singh, a former village head from neighbouring Urla. “The rocks above the road had cracked and seepage was visible.”

Mandi deputy commissioner Sandeep Kadam said the rubble of the landslide blocked the adjacent stream. “This led to creation of an artificial pond. It has been cleared.”

Three days later the National Remote Sensing Centre (ISRO, Hyderabad) came out with graphic details about what exactly happened at Kotropi at Pathankot-Nauni National Highway 154. In 'geological assessment' it said: “The area is in a thrust contact between the Shivaliks and the Shali group of rocks consisting mainly of dolomites, brick red shale, sandstones, purple clay and mudstones. The hardness of these rocks is in general less. These have been subjected to deformation by the thrust in the area, making them highly prone to landslides.” In simple terms, the thrust is aggravated by erosion of the upper soil crust because of activities such as road construction, making the hills unstable. An incessant rain further robs the slope of its strength. Result: landslides.

The report also notes “deep incision of the tributaries” suggesting that some of the lineaments could be neotectonically active since there are near the main boundary thrust that separated the Shivalik. 

The hill vulnerability has increased many times in the recent past. The factors cited are: reckless development activities, deforestation, unscientific road construction, terracing, water intensive agricultural practices, and encroachment on steep hill slopes.

The recent landslide is a grim wakeup call as the landslide recurred after 20 years. The report of geologist is awaited, but the locals blame post-construction haphazard debris disposal and a fragile mountain terrain. This is despite a clear warning from a Central government-sponsored study on Spatial Distribution and Concentration of Landslides released in 2003. The report said over 97% of the total geographical area of Himachal is landslide-prone. Here are a few instances: 

1989: 40 people were killed in a landslide at Matiana on Hindustan-Tibet Highway in Shimla district. Buses had to be stopped as rocks continued to roll down before an entire hill had collapsed. 

1995: Landslide killed over 60 people in the Luggar-Bhatti area of Kullu district. This landslide led to the accumulation of rubble 200-m long and 100-m high. The tragedy had struck in the morning rush hours when labourers, engaged by the PWD to clear the bank road leading to Manali, were at work. Almost all labourers, mostly Nepalese, and a few school children were killed.

1993: Landslide blocked the Sutlej near Jhakri on Hindustan-Tibet Highway. A huge lake was formed which took nearly six months to drain out even as the threat of flash flood loomed. 

The frequency of manmade landslides has increased. For instance, along the Shimla-Parvanoo Highway, where the road is being widened to four lanes the danger is from near-vertical passage, deforestation and lack of plantation.

National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) general manager in Himachal Gursewak Singh Sangha says heavy rains are the biggest threat in areas where construction activity is going on. “We have asked geologists to suggest ways to prevent the hills from sliding”. 

Shimla, too, is also sinking at several places due to digging of slopes for construction and infrastructure development. The retention policy of the state government to regularize illegal construction on “as is where is” basis is a widely seen as a betrayal of environmental and modern living commitments. 

A survey of the sub-strata strength assumes immense significance because Shivalik hills are made up of rocks such as sandstone, shale and clay. “We have suggested measures taking into account the types of rocks,” says geologist Rajnish Sharma. “We always send a geological report of a forest land whenever PWD writes to us about any road construction.” 

Geologists have warned that slopes more than 45 degrees should not be cut. “High-retaining breast walls are usually recommended to reduce the landslide damage,” says special secretary revenue and disaster, DD Sharma.

“For new constructions/widening of roads attempts should be made to keep old passages open. This can help in stabilizing the strata,” says RS Sood, prominent city planner and a retired IAS officer.

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