CHANDIGARH: Due to the heavy rains recently, both roads leading to McLeodganj, the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile, from Dharamsala have started caving in at many places. The main passage to McLeodganj has been damaged near the Cantonment area following a landslide.
Another shorter stretch to McLeodganj from the Kotwali market of Dharamsala has already been closed. Geologists have set alarm bells ringing for this small hill town. Sources said the shorter route was shut down last year after the monsoon. It has now become prone to landslides. A retention wall was to be constructed along the road but it caved in during construction. It was built again and is yet to be reinforced.
A part of the road caved in near Forsythganj, some 2 km from McLeodganj and the locals have also complained of cracks in nearby buildings. The defence authorities have written to the district administration about the damage to the road passing through Cantonment, said sources.
Experts from IIT Mumbai and other geologists have suggested that stone walls or gabion (cage) walls along the road should be constructed instead of concrete retention walls. Geologists from the Central University of Himachal Pradesh are of the view that the upper crust of hills in the McLeodganj has loose soil containing crushed stones. With water seeping into the upper crust, the area has become prone to falling. Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal has directed the national highway authorities to repair the main road as it has sunk.
Geologist AK Mahajan says one need to identify and do small-scale landslide mapping to avert disasters. “We must also study the drainage system in the hill town and there should be planned sewerage in the cantonment and McLeodganj town,’’ he said.
A section of the Kalka-Shimla Highway was damaged due to heavy rains. Traffic has been allowed only from one side. Meanwhile, a report from Dehradun said heavy rains resulting in landslides have blocked the Badrinath Yatra route in the Chamoli district, which will take at least four days to repair. District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana told this newspaper that about 100 meters of Badrinath National Highway at the Kameda border was washed away due to a landslide.
