Opened in August last year, cooperative bank building in Solan damaged

The newly constructed building of the Jogindra Central Cooperative Bank at Kather in Solan has suffered significant damage during the ongoing monsoon season, exposing possible construction lapses.

An assessment of the damage reveals that a retaining wall of improper height was constructed along the slope without adequate slope protection. The bank’s building was constructed adjacent to this wall. Following heavy rainfall, large boulders tumbled down the hill and struck the bank building, damaging a power generator, other equipment and rendering one room unsafe.

The power generator system, valued at Rs 17 to Rs 18 lakh, was first to be damaged in June. In a more recent incident, a wall of the building was breached after boulders crashed into it during a heavy downpour, causing further damage to the internal machinery and civil structure. The extent of the destruction is evident from the volume of debris, several truckloads, that had to be cleared from the site.

The building, constructed for Rs 7.5 crore, was inaugurated in August last year as part of the bank’s centenary celebrations. The project was executed by the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA), with cost escalation several times.

“The wall has been covered with tarpaulin sheets to prevent further damage during the ongoing rains. Once the monsoon subsides, technical experts will be brought in to assess the situation and suggest slope protection measures,” said Pankaj Sood, Managing Director of the bank.

Sood added a claim had been submitted to the insurance company, which was currently assessing the losses. The matter was yet to be formally taken up with HIMUDA.

While bank officials termed the incident as a rain-induced disaster, the absence of slope protection exposed a serious lack of foresight. A retaining wall was constructed following vertical excavation of the slope by several feet. The retaining wall proved too short. Continuous seepage into this exposed slope further weakened it, leading to boulders tumbling down during heavy rain, underlining possible engineering inadequacies.

Similar flaws have caused repeated landslides along the Parwanoo-Solan-Kaithlighat highway, where the absence of proper breast walls led to severe damage during the monsoon. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was forced to allocate additional funds for slope protection measures.