Road to recovery: Experts blame excess rain for landslides in Himachal Pradesh, will suggest slope-stabilisation measures

Ambika Sharma

Solan, September 9

The Parwanoo-Solan stretch of the National Highway-5 suffered a colossal damage due to 426 per cent excess rain that had pounded various parts of Solan district since June.

As against the normal rainfall of 76.6 mm, 249.6 mm average rain was received in the state from July 1 to July 11. In July, cloudbursts in the vicinity of the Parwanoo-Solan highway resulted in flashfloods and massive landslides, observed officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The expert panel

• CSP Ojha from IIT-Roorkee
• Dr Dharmender Gill from IIT-Mandi
• RK Pandey, ex-Member (Projects) of the National Highways Authority of India
• Minimol, a slope stabilisation expert

An expert committee constituted by the NHAI, which visited various critical sites like Chakki Mod, observed this while terming the rain-triggered calamity as an exceptional situation.

CSP Ojha from the IIT-Roorkee, Dr Dharmender Gill from the IIT-Mandi, NHAI’s former Member (Projects) RK Pandey and slope stabilisation expert Minimol examined various critical stretches like Chakki Mod, Jabli, Sanwara and Do Sarka on the Parwanoo-Dharampur highway.

Stabilising the slopes

HP is a cloudburst-prone state, but 426 per cent excess rain is a departure from the usual trend. Various factors will be assessed to suggest measures to stabilise the slopes. —Minimol, Panel member

Torrential rain triggered landslides and stretches like Chakki Mod, Sanwara, Jabli, Datiyar, etc., suffered the maximum damage.

“More stress will be laid on the effective drainage management while restoring the critical stretches using effective engineering techniques. A slew of factors like hydrological data to know the quantum of rain, cloudburst cases, soil strata, etc., will be taken into account to arrive at final observations. This will take a few months,” said RK Pandey.

Damaged stretches have been temporarily restored and now expert opinion is being sought to stabilise roads to avert damage in future.

Exceptionally high rate of precipitation triggered erosion of hills along the NH-5 and sustainable engineering techniques would be suggested to stablise it based on various factors. The study would take a few months as data would have to be thoroughly examined, CSP Ojha said.

“Himachal is a cloudburst-prone state, but 426 per cent excess rain is a departure from the usual trend. Various factors will be assessed to suggest measures to stabilise the slopes,” Minimol said.

NHAI Project Director Anand Dhaiya and GR Infra Projects’ Balwinder Singh were also present during the inspection.