Summer hill Tragedy: Temple flattened by landslide last year, another coming up nearby

Subhash Rajta

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 14

On August 14, 2023, a massive landslide had flattened a temple in the Shiv Bawdi area of Summer Hill, killing 20 people who were offering prayers in the shine. A year later, the work is still underway to construct a new temple atop a two-storey building just a few metres away from the destroyed temple.

Questions are being raised over the construction of such a big structure so close to the site that was hit by the devastating landslide last year. Incidentally, the Shimla Municipal Corporation had sent a notice to the temple committee over a month ago to stop the work as the area is “vulnerable”.

Corrective steps, if needed

We will strictly ensure that no construction is done within 10 metres of the rivers and nullahs. We will look into this particular case and take corrective measures, if required. —Dhani Ram Shandil, Health Minister

“We have already sent a couple of notices to the temple committee to stop construction as the area is vulnerable to landslides as we had seen last year. As per the norms, we will send them the final notice shortly and then take the required action,” said Bhupender Attri, Municipal Commissioner.

He said that the temple committee had not been able to furnish the planning permission even for the two-storey structure, which existed even at the time of the tragedy last year. And, now, a temple is coming up atop this structure.

Besides, the government has framed a rule that no construction will be allowed within 10 metres of the rivers and nullahs following massive destruction during the monsoon last year. The structure is very close to a nullah – though it’s not clear whether it flouts the 10 m rule. “We will strictly ensure that no construction is done within 10 metres of the nullahs. We will look into this particular case and take corrective measures if required,” said Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil, who has a residence about one km away from the site.

Virender Thakur, Summer Hill councillor, said that all constructions should be done as per the norms and with proper approvals. “No one is against the construction of a temple, but it should be done only after acquiring the required permissions and as per the norms,” he added.

Local people also didn’t look too impressed with the big temple coming up. “Initially, there was a small temple here. That was much better,” said an elderly person, who had lost a young relative in the tragic incident last year.