Retaining wall built along McLeodganj road sinking

Tribune News Service

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, November 1

A stone crate retaining wall constructed along the Dharamsala-McLeodganj road recently has started sinking, raising questions on the functioning of the Public Works Department (PWD). The Dharamsala-McLeodganj road has been witnessing landslides at various places.

LN Aggarwal, a former Director of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and consultant with the Himachal Department of Energy, has questioned the design of stone crate walls constructed to stem active landslide zones on this road. He said, “A stone crate wall built just two days ago near the Cant Road area on the Dharamsala-McLeodganj road has started sinking. Loose sediments at the base of the wall cannot bear its weight. The wall has been constructed without consulting a soil expert. The strata where it has been constructed is an active sliding zone. It is likely to give way in the event of constant rainfall or seepage in the area.”

Soil expert not consulted

• Experts have raised questions over the quality of stone crate retaining walls constructed to protect the Dharamsala-McLeodganj road
• Soil experts not consulted while designing retaining walls
• Frequent landslides, if not stopped, will also pose a threat to the residence of the Kangra Deputy Commissioner on the Cantt Road
• Many portions of the Dharamsala-McLeodganj road sinking

Aggarwal says that the place where the wall has been built has witnessed frequent landslides for the past more than two years. “The authorities concerned should construct stone crate walls from the bottom of a mountain or on a solid base so that it could contain landslides. If frequent landslides are not stopped, they will pose a threat to the residence of the Kangra Deputy Commissioner on the Cantt Road,” he adds.

Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal says that he will write to the Public Works Department (PWD) to seek an explanation over doubts expressed by experts about the quality of stone crate retaining walls built along the Dharamsala-McLeodganj road, which is sinking at many places.

The district administration had sought advice of the state geologist and other experts to stem landslides that were threatening the road and vital infrastructure on it. During the last monsoon season, a portion of the McLeodganj road near the Kotwali market had caved it. The PWD had awarded a contract for the repair of the road and the construction of a retaining wall along it. However, this retaining wall caved in and another one was constructed but experts questioned its stability.

The defence authorities had written to the district administration that the road passing through Dharamsala Cantonment located along the Dharamsala-McLeodganj road was sinking. Portions of the road near Forsythganj, 2 km from McLeodganj, had caved in. Residents of Forsythganj have complained about cracks developing in their buildings due to subsidence. Geologists of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) blame poor drainage and the lack of sewerage for the sinking of portions of McLeodganj hills.

Meanwhile, the Executive Engineer, PWD, Dharamsala, was not available for his comments despite repeated phone calls to him.

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