Pine Grove on the edge: Dharamsala’s landmark faces landslide threat

The picturesque Pine Grove, a cherished natural landmark within the Government College, Dharamsala campus, is facing a severe landslide threat caused by ongoing soil erosion from the Charan rivulet below. Once a serene retreat for generations of students, the grove’s land is shrinking each year and now teeters on the brink of collapse.

Pine Grove holds deep sentimental value for alumni and current students. However, continued soil degradation has placed its survival in jeopardy. Environmental experts are urging swift intervention from the college administration, Forest Department, civic bodies and the district administration. Many fear that without immediate action, the grove could be lost forever—another casualty of negligence and inaction.

Alumnus and CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, “It was heart-breaking to witness the collapse of the grove where we created lifetime memories.”

Entrepreneur Bhupinder Kaushal has proposed a mass fundraising drive—possibly led by the Old Students’ Association— if government agencies fail to act. Suggested conservation steps include constructing a stone wall from the stream bed, reinforcing slopes with steel wire mesh, and fencing vulnerable cliff edges until the soil is stabilised. Principal Rakesh Pathania said the matter had been brought to the attention of the administration, and solutions were being explored.