Slippery slopes: 60% Himachal Pradesh roads prone to landslips, threat ignored

Tribune News Service

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, August 12

The catastrophe unleashed by torrential rain that triggered flashfloods, cloudbursts and landslides has raised questions regarding the development model being implemented in the ecologically fragile and landslide-prone areas of the hill state.

With little heed being paid to vulnerability assessment, which ideally should be part of any development plan, the results are not too surprising. The indiscriminate felling of trees to pave the way for roads and hydel projects has left the hills barren, resulting in major landslides, caving in of roads and entire hillsides coming down, mainly along four-lane projects where the strata has been unsettled.

Various studies, including the Landslide Hazard Risk Assessment, 2015, undertaken by Delhi and Ahmedabad-based TARU for the disaster management cell of the Department of Revenue, had clearly warned of the threat and high vulnerability faced by 60 per cent of the total road network in Himachal. The report clearly spelt out the impending dangers which have only been triggered by unprecedented rain, the highest in the past four decades. According to the Landslide Atlas of India prepared by the National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad, in February, a landslide exposure analysis was carried out for 147 mountainous districts of India. Mandi district was placed at the 16th rank, followed by Hamirpur at the 25th and Bilaspur at the 30th. Solan, Kinnaur, Kullu, Shimla and Kangra were ranked in the top 60 most vulnerable districts.

As per the landslide hazard risk map, in the eight national highways (NH) having a total length of 1,628.377 km, 993.29 km fall in the high vulnerable zone, 516.46 km in the moderate risk zone and 10.96 km in the extreme vulnerable zone. Of the 2,178.988 km mesh of highways, a major portion of 1,111.552 km of the state highways fall in the high vulnerable zone, rendering these perilous for landslides.

The trail of misery left behind by the rain fury includes 255 deaths and 32 people still missing, besides a loss of over Rs 8,000 crore to private and public property. The Public Works Department has been the worst hit with losses of over Rs 2,200 crore. The state has faced 87 major landslides and 54 incidents of flashflood this monsoon, even as 302 roads remain closed.

Hundreds of trees which came down with the slush on account of floods in the Thunag area of Mandi last month came as a shocker to many as the video went viral on social media. Questions are being raised about such large number of trees being felled for whatever reasons, be it for constructing roads.

The Landslide Hazard Zonation Atlas of India clearly mentions that most past landslides have taken place along national/state highways and pilgrimage routes. The Landslide Hazard Risk Assessment clearly spells out that road cutting and other development activities should be carried out keeping in mind the hazard profile to reduce emerging risk due to landslides. Such hazard zoning and vulnerability assessment must be an integral part of development plans to provide guidance to the authorities.

Vulnerable districts

• A landslide exposure analysis was carried out for 147 mountainous districts of India
• Mandi district was placed at 16th rank, followed by Hamirpur (25th) & Bilaspur (30th)
• Solan, Kinnaur, Kullu, Shimla & Kangra were ranked in top 60 most vulnerable districts

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