Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 26 : Experts have warned of an urgent need to improve infrastructure to save Himachal Pradesh, including the hill town of Dharamshala in the Kangra district. The experts called for an improvement in the drainage system.
Former director of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), LN Aggarwal, said that the government has to ensure that the geological assessment is done by experts. He said that people should follow technical ways of construction, otherwise the future is "bleak".
Former director GSI, LN Aggarwal told ANI, "The departments never ask people to have a geologist's opinion, however, some years ago there was a rule in town and county planning department that an opinion of a geologist was must before construction in sliding zone but I think it is equally important for non-sliding area but nobody is bothered about... I have seen that even government constructions are going on without any expert opinion."
He flagged the increasing load of construction on the soil, leading to the landslides.
"The construction load has increased a lot, and there is no proper drainage system, and because of that, all water goes into the soil. There are different layers of soil. In some areas, the soil is hard, made of debris, or clay. When water enters the earth, the soil becomes heavy and slippery, which aggregates landslides. Similarly, the cracks occur in the roads due to settlement of the soil," he said.
"If the rain continues like this, then many areas would be in danger. There are a lot of examples in Dharamshala, and moreover, one of the pillars of the skyway seems a bit unsafe, as it is all a sliding zone, so the future may be bleak. They have to ensure the geological assessment is done by the experts, and they should follow the technical ways of construction," LN Aggarwal added.
Geographer Dr Vishal Nehria pointed out the saturation in the carrying capacity of Dharamshala.
Nehria told ANI, "The rain is not new for us. It is a common phenomenon, but with the passage of time, there is a lot of urbanisation. Dharamshala town has a carrying capacity of 25000 people, but there is a saturation, and it is overcrowded now. Moreover, the development or construction that is happening here is unscientific."
Flagging the "poor" drainage system, he said that their ancestors had a terraced slope system, which diverted the rainwater.
"There is a very poor drainage system these days. Water supply pipes, sewerage lines or telecom lines go through drains, and the water flows on roads, and then the rainwater is now entering houses during the constant rains here. Our grandparents had evolved a drainage system where they made a terraced slope system, and the rain water was diverted towards a nullah, and this system protected our houses, but now people are constructing buildings there and disturbing the natural flow of drainage. And as I told earlier, drinking water pipes and telecom cables are lying through drainage, and because of this, our drainage system is failing," he said.
Nehria further told, "The Britishers did an environmental impact assessment in 1930, which says that this town can have a carrying capacity of 25000 people. For example, if we carry 7-8 persons in a five-seater vehicle, then this will reduce its life, and a similar thing happens with our resources. So there is a huge pressure on our resources and ecology. I think there is a lack of departmental coordination, and if all the departments work in coordination with each other, then we can have a much better model of development."
Ex-Municipal Councillor Virender Parmar said that the National Highway from Dharamshala to McLeodganj has been closed after a landslide blocked the way for vehicles.
Virender Parmar said, "There is a landslide on the bypass road, and it is the main road for big vehicles like buses and trucks. This is a National Highway from Dharamshala to McLeodganj, and it has been closed, and the main reason for the damage is due to a poor drainage system."
He added that they reported the cracks in the highway, but no action was taken.
"Initially, we noticed some cracks on the highway and we reported it, but no action was taken, and consequently, there is a big loss now. Many houses are also at risk. They are just 8-10 feet away from the landslide. The government should take an immediate step here," Parmar said.
"The population of the town is increasing, and the construction has also been enhanced over the last few years, and it has created a burden on the drainage system. They do not even clean the drains properly. People have constructed buildings on water sources. There is a lack of planning, and urgent action is required, and they should also take expert opinion on it," he added.
Dharamshala is a rain-fed area and is also listed in seismic zone 5.
According to the India Meteorological Department, very heavy rainfall (12-20 cm) has been recorded at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh in the past 24 hours till 8:30 AM on Tuesday.