As monsoon rain pours, residents get the blues
Kuldeep Chauhan
The onset of monsoon has once again brought the spotlight on landside-prone areas and vulnerable trees that pose threat to the public in the Queen of Hills — Shimla.
Recent landslide near the Ripon hospital last week has come as a wake-up call for the district administration and the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC). It has come as a reminder of the fury that the monsoon unleashed on August 12 and 14 last year.
As many as 61 families (42 in Dhalli and lower Cemetery, eight each in New Shimla and Vikasnagar and three each in Phagli and Krishna Nagar) had to vacate their houses, which were rendered “unsafe for living” due to a series of landsides triggered by heavy rain during this time last year.
The Shimla-Vikasnagar-Dhalli road was blocked near Malyana for days together that resulted in diversion of traffic to the Circular Road.
Many vulnerable trees got uprooted and fell on roads and damaged transmission lines that snapped power supply in the city. On July 9, the pumping of water from Giri and Gumma was stopped due to the high level of silt from these two major sources to the city that created water shortage in the city. The HP Power Corporation Ltd, which was to construct the weir on the Giri near Mahipul, is yet to get clearance for the project even after more than one year.
There are in fact over 65 storm-water nullahs or drains, which turn into raging torrents due to heavy rain every monsoon and bring down an avalanche of debris and trash posing threat to nearby houses and commuters travelling on roads. Most of these nullahs are still dumping grounds for builders and nearby residents, though the SMC has installed CCTV cameras at some major hotspots in the city to catch defaulters, who dump debris and garbage at these places, red-handed, rendering the spot vulnerable to landslide.
Bitter memories of rain furry
In August last year, as many as 61 families faced the trauma of their life as the houses, which they had built by spending their lifetime earnings, were rendered unsafe by landside in Vikasnagar and New Shimla. They blamed Himuda, the SMC and other government agencies, as they did not raise the retaining walls and laid proper drains.
“We never imagined that after spending the earnings of our lifetime to buy a house from Himuda, one day we will have to vacate it,” said Amit and his ageing mother, who moved out from their flat in Himuda colony, phase-III, Sector 5, New Shimla, which was declared unsafe by the tehsildar after inspection in August last year. But the house owner shifted back as the SMC rebuilt the retaining wall and the stairs connecting the residential blocks to the road.
The members of eight families of C-20 Himuda Colony, Vikasnagar, faced the same thing. “The landslide rendered the block unsafe for its occupants. This has exposed the poor quality of work and safety in Himuda buildings and the government should take action,” they demanded.
The nullah, whenever it surges due to rain, poses threat to residents living nearby in lower Cemetery. The SMC has taken some remedial measures, but nearby residents face threat from the surging nullah.
Nine private houses — six in upper Dhalli and three in lower Cemetery near the bowri — were declared unsafe by the SDM, rural.
“The debris dumped uphill flowed down and washed away the bowri and the portion of the support base of the houses in lower Cemetery,” said Govind Chatranta, a local resident of lower Cemetery.
Several families in Krishnagar and Phagli face similar threat to their homes, which are built haphazardly. Last year, six families (three each in Krishna Nagar and Phagli) were rendered houseless due to the landslide there.
The SMC raised the retaining wall at Hainault Public School, where five deodar trees fell on the road due to landslide which buried two cars parked there. How well the SMC and the disaster management authorities are equipped and prepared only time will tell.
Vulnerable sites marked: Authorities
The SMC and Forest Department claim that they have identified unsafe trees and landslide-prone sites in the city, but the corporation and district administration and disaster management need to join hands to pre-empt such disasters during the monsoon. They conducted a mock drill recently to pool in efforts and test the preparedness needed for the disaster. The ward-wise survey is under way and they are ready to deal with the disaster during the monsoon season, said Pankaj Rai, MC Commissioner. The hotspots are under the CCTV surveillance and landslide-prone spots are identified and remedial measures are in place, he said. To ensure the safety of the public ahead of the monsoons season, the Shimla Municipal Corporation and the Forest Department have identified over 555 trees (205 in urban and 355 tress in rural parts of the city), which pose threat to the public safety, property and transmission lines that supply electricity to residents. Shimla Mayor Kusum Sadret, who also heads the tree authority sub-committee (TAC) of the corporation, says they have already started the exercise of identifying “trees, which are dry or tilted or dangerous that can pose threat to public security”. “So far, we have inspected 90 trees, of which 60 are in the city and need lopping, as these are touching the transmission lines,” she said. She said the sub-committee would send the list of trees that need to be cut after inspection to the state Cabinet for approval. “Krishna Nagar area is prone to landslides and we are surveying the area,” she said.
