Landslide at Dharamsala village threatens houses

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, August 23

Massive landslide damaged an under-construction house and threatened many building in village Chola located at a distance of about 10 km from Dharamsala.

Sources said the landslide occurred on Wednesday evening. Last year also the village had witnessed a massive landslide and 11 houses were damaged. The residents were shifted to safer places. The village falls in active sliding zone area of Dharamsala.

Surprisingly, despite the fact that the village has been classified in active landslide prone area by geologists locals are being allowed to raise constructions. At a recent conference on disaster management experts had advised the district administration Kangra against bringing up constructions in active sliding zones. However, no heed was being paid to the advice of the experts.

Recently a massive landslide damaged eight houses in Kand village, about 20 km from Dharamsala. Houses in Forsythganj near Dharamsala have been developing cracks as the area was sliding according to experts. The areas in which the landslide took place had been declared an active sliding zone in a study conducted by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan, Geology.

The scientific study that was conducted by Dr AK Mahajan of Wadia institute of Himachal Geology had put many zones in Dharamsala like Tirah Lines, Barakoti, Kajlot, Jogiwara, Dhial, Gamru and Chohla under the category of active sliding zones.

Due to heavy rains during the day landslides disrupted traffic on the Kangra bypass.

1 killed, 3 houses damaged in Chamba

Chamba: Following heavy rain in the tribal terrains of Chamba district, one person was killed when he fell from a cliff on the local path at Sulakhar village in Holi tribal sub-tehsil in the past 24 hours. Officials disbursed Rs 10,000 as an immediate relief to the next of kin of Chain Lal resident of the local area. Meanwhile, three houses and three cowsheds were damaged due to heavy rain in Sukdaibai, Goli, Manola, Bharera and Bhatoli areas in Dalhousie tehsil of the district. — OC

Advice ignored 

• Despite that the village falls in active landslide prone area locals are being allowed to raise constructions 
• Experts had advised the district administration against bringing up constructions in active sliding zones. However, no heed was being paid to the advice of the experts