Enforce 23-yr-old report on Dharamsala hills, MC told

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, February 24

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal has written to the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation to take cognizance of a study conducted by geologists of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, 23 years ago for deciding mitigation measures for active landslide zones in the region.

Tectonic movement poses threat

• Dharamsala city is located between two major tectonic thrusts, which have developed splays that cause tectonic movement
• Due to tectonic movement, rocks in Dharamsala are highly deformed, folded and fractured
• Fracturing of rocks and the presence of loose material along with high seepage lead to high landslide hazard
• Leaking septic tanks, water pipes and sewerage also pose a landslide threat to the entire McLeodganj area

The Kangra district administration had asked the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology to conduct the study titled ‘Preparation of Landslide Hazard Zonation map of Dharamsala town and Adjoining Areas’ in 1999-2000. Two geologists, AK Mahajan and NS Virdi, had conducted the study and submitted their report to the Kangra district administration in 2000. However, their suggestions were never implemented on the ground.

It was after incidents of subsidence in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, came to light that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu asked deputy commissioners to identify landslide-prone zones in the state and the study report came into focus. The Dharamsala MC has been asked to implement the study findings and the suggestions of the geologists.

The study had put many Dharamsala zones such as Tirah Lines, Barakoti, Kajlot, Jogiwara, Dhial, Gamru and Chohla in the category of active sliding zones.

The geologists had warned the district administration that constructions should not be carried out in active sliding zones in Dharamsala city, as these could pose a threat to the lives and property of people. However, multi-storey buildings have been constructed in all these thickly populated areas, as nobody ever acted on the geologists’ suggestions in the past 20 years.

As per the study report, the main factors that make these areas active sliding zones are geological conditions, topography, high slope gradient and thick loose soil deposits made of clayey material mixed with non-uniform cobbles and blocks.

It stated, “Dharamsala city is located between two major tectonic thrusts, which have developed a number of splays that cause a lot of tectonic movement in the area. Due to tectonic movement, rocks in Dharamsala are highly deformed, folded and fractured. The fracturing of rocks and the presence of loose material coupled with high seepage lead to very high land slide hazard.”

It also stated, “Leaking septic tanks, water pipes and sewerage also pose a landslide threat to the entire McLeodganj area. These tanks are creating geological conditions under which the entire top layer of the hills may get washed away. A proper drainage system should be constructed on McLeodganj hills to mitigate the threat of landslides.”