No funds, PWD yet to start work to save DC’s house, McLeodganj road from sinking

The Public Works Department (PWD) is waiting for funds to save McLeodganj hills and portions of the McLeodganj-Dharamsala road from ‘active’ sliding. Sources say that even the British-era residence of the Kangra Deputy Commissioner located on McLeodganj hills in Dharamsala is endangered due to landslides. The residences of the Deputy Commissioner, Divisional Commissioner and the Civil Surgeon, Kangra, located on McLeodganj hills face the threat of landslides.

The sources say that the PWD has sent an estimate of Rs 2.5 crore to the State Disaster Management Authority to save the Deputy Commissioner’s residence from damage. However, till date, no funds have been received and the Deputy Commissioner’s residence continues to be under threat.

Besides, the McLeodganj-Dharamsala road faces the threat of a major landslide near the Kali Mata temple. To stem the slide at this point, the PWD had sent a proposal for Rs 17 crore to the National Disaster Management Authority about three months ago but was still awaiting the money. The sources say that the grant was sought from the National Disaster Management Authority on the basis of a study conducted by experts from the IIT-Roorkee, whose services the district administration had hired for the purpose.

The PWD had sent another proposal for Rs 78 lakh to the State Disaster Management Authority to check landslides on the Khara Danda road leading to McLeodganj. However, the proposal was rejected.

Superintendent Engineer, PWD, Dharmender Singh says that the department has sent a proposal for Rs 2.5 crore for saving the Kangra Deputy Commissioner’s residence and another proposal for Rs 78 lakh to save the Khara Danda road to the State Disaster Management Authority. He adds that the proposal to save the Khara Danda road was rejected while the funds for the Deputy Commissioner’s house are yet to be received.

He says that a proposal for Rs 17 crore to save the McLeodganj-Dharamsala road has been sent to the National Disaster Management Authority but no funds have been received.

Both national highway and Khara Danda road, which comes under the state PWD, leading to McLeodganj from Dharamsala, are sinking at various places. The district administration had evacuated a private building in the Kotwali market due to the threat of landslides during this monsoon.

Track to Bhagsunag waterfall has developed cracks

• The famous track to the Bhagsunag waterfall has developed cracks due to subsidence in hills
• In Forsythganj, a hill station located 2 km from McLeodganj, many people complain that their buildings are developing cracks due to subsidence
• The defence authorities have also written to the district administration regarding the sinking of the road passing through Dharamsala Cantonment located along the Dharamsala-McLeodganj road near Forsythganj