Mountains are moving: Dharamsala’s silent countdown to disaster

Dharamsala, the jewel of Himachal Pradesh and the pride of its Smart City mission, is perched on the edge of catastrophe. This is not a distant threat, not a hypothetical model — it is an urgent reality embedded in the ground beneath us.

The town lies in Seismic Zone V, India’s most dangerous seismic category. Multiple geological thrusts slice through this fragile terrain. Among them, the Shali Thrust remains neotectonically active — in plain words, the land is restless, shifting, sinking and capable of unleashing landslides at any moment.

The ropeway gamble

Layered on this vulnerability is human ambition: the cable car ropeway connecting Dharamsala and McLeodganj, a lifeline for tourists. Without real-time monitoring through strain meters and tilt meters, it is a ticking gamble. One slip in slope stability could turn this attraction into an international headline of tragedy.

Ignored warnings, forgotten science

The issue in Dharamsala isn’t ignorance, but rather indifference to critical infrastructure needs. Experts from the Geological Survey of India, IITs and engineering geology institutes seem absent. The Smart City administration prioritises cosmetic beautification over essential groundwork, lacking drainage systems to prevent slope saturation and measures like shotcreting and rock bolting to stabilise fragile hillsides, exacerbating the city’s vulnerability.

Instead of science-driven solutions, governance has been reduced to political theatrics, ribbon cuttings and empty promises. This is not the mark of a Smart City — it is the blueprint of negligence.

A call for urgency

If Dharamsala is to survive, leaders must rise above petty politics and listen to science. They must fund geological studies, slope reinforcements and disaster preparedness with urgency. A true Smart City is not built on slogans — it is built on safety, foresight and responsibility.

The clock is ticking

The mountains are shifting. Dharamsala is exposed. With every day of delay, the city inches closer to a disaster of its own making. The question remains stark: Will the administration act now — or only after tragedy strikes.