Leaking septic tanks pose landslide threat in McLeodganj

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, April 5

Leaking septic tanks pose severe threat to the entire hill on which McLeodganj is located.

These tanks are creating geological conditions in which the entire top layer of the hill might get washed away like it did at Terra Lines.

Despite clear warning, the state government or the local administration has not done anything to mitigate the threat.

Dr AK Mahajan, Dean, Department of Environmental Sciences at Central University of Himachal Pradesh, said: “The entire land in McLeodganj is under threat of landslide if remedial measures are not taken.” He said land texture in McLeodganj hill comprised sand stone at the base, clay stone in the middle and loose soil at the top.

“The region receives very heavy rainfall. However, due to steep gradient, water fails to percolate into the soil and drains down very quickly. Since there is no sewerage system available in the area, people construct septic tanks for disposal. The septic tanks are very dangerous for soil strata like what is available in McLeodganj. Water slowly percolates from septic tanks into the loose upper strata of the soil in the hill,” he said.

“The upper soil in McLeodganj has no water-retaining capacity and becomes prone to landslide after water percolates slowly into it,” he said.

Professor AK Mahajan, who has done extensive study on geology of Dharamsala region, said: “Besides septic tanks, leaking pipes of the IPH Department are also contributing towards creating landslide-type situation in which the entire upper layer of the hill in McLeodganj area can move down.”

He said septic tanks and leaking pipes had created such a geological condition in McLeodganj hill that landslides could trigger anytime whenever any external factor such as heavy rain contributes.

Professor AK Mahajan had conducted a study and earmarked the areas in Dharamsala that were active-sliding zones.

Two such areas were Terra Lines and Chola village that had already witnessed massive landslides in the past one year.

However, still unplanned and massive constructions were going on in the areas that fall in active-landslide zones in Dharamsala region.

The state government and the district administration has done nothing to regulate and check construction in active-sliding zones in Dharamsala region.