McLeodganj hills sinking, poor drainage, lack of sewerage to blame
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, August 24
Thousands of national and international tourists every year visit McLeodganj, which is a popular hill station in Himachal and also the abode of the Dalai Lama. However, the hills on which McLeodganj is located are gradually sinking.
Both roads from Dharamsala to McLeodganj, the national highway and the Khara Danda road, are sinking at various places. The district administration has got vacated a private building in the Kotwali market because of the fear of landslides.
An eminent geologist of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP), prof AK Mahajan, blames poor drainage and the lack of sewerage for the sinking of McLeodganj hills. He says that the upper crust of the hills in McLeodganj comprises loose soil and crushed stones. Such crusts are prone to landslides if they don’t have proper drainage. If water seeps inside the upper crust of the soil, these hills become heavy and prone to landslides, Mahajan has written to the Kangra district administration.
Scientists have been saying that leaking septic tanks and water pipes in the region are also responsible for landslides in the McLeodganj area. They have suggested to the district administration that to stem the subsidence problem in McLeodganj, a proper drainage plan should be laid out for the entire hills.
The National Highways Department has submitted a Rs 200-crore plan to the Union Ministry of Surface Transport and Highways to execute a project for sustaining the Dharamsala-McLeodganj national highway. Executive Engineer (National Highways), Hamirpur, Hari Ram says that no funds have been received from the Union Government till date for checking the subsidence problem on the Dharamsala-McLeodganj stretch of the highway.
Dharamsala Municipal Commissioner Zaffar Iqbal says that the hill subsidence problem in McLeodganj is persisting in many areas. He adds that a proposal will be sent to the state government under the disaster management head for drawing a plan to stem the problem.
Bhagsunag waterfall trek develops cracks
- The district administration has got vacated a private building in the Kotwali market due to the fear of landslides
- The trek to Bhagsunag waterfall has developed cracks
- Residents of Forsythganj near McLeodganj say that their buildings have developed cracks due to hill subsidence
- Portions of the road near Forsythganj have caved in
- The defence authorities have written to the administration about the sinking of the road passing through the cantt area
