Smart city, weak slopes: Poor drainage triggers Dharamsala’s slide

A massive landslide above Clouds End Villa has exposed pillar number 5 of the ropeway, once again confirming geologists’ long-standing fears that the entire hill is slowly sinking. Acting on the advice of experts, the district administration has ordered the suspension of all ropeway operations from today as a precautionary measure.

The scale of the crisis is alarming. The sinking zone stretches nearly 2–3 km down to Sudher village and is densely inhabited. What makes the situation even more critical is that official residences of the Divisional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and even judges are located on this vulnerable slope.

Senior geologist Sanjay Kumbhkarni, a retired officer from the Geological Survey of India and now a resident of Dharamsala, has urged the immediate installation of strain meters and tiltmeters with real-time monitoring. He also stressed the urgent need for an effective drainage system—something that has been repeatedly overlooked in ongoing “smart city” projects.

The problem began a week ago when the Khara Danda road, the busiest shortcut to McLeodganj, sank and collapsed. Soon after, cracks appeared on the bypass road below, forcing its closure first to heavy vehicles and now to all four-wheelers. Further down near the HRTC workshop, wide cracks have surfaced, pointing to yet another impending landslide that experts believe is unavoidable.

Amidst all this, one abandoned house at the hill’s edge is on the verge of collapse, threatening those living directly below. At least 10 families, including those of Sandhya, Geeta Devi and Sandip Kumar, live in constant fear as falling debris has already begun to reach their homes. These residents met the Deputy Commissioner today, pleading for urgent relocation as sleepless nights and panic have become their reality.

Experts such as Prof AK Mahajan from the Central University of Himachal Pradesh have repeatedly warned that poor drainage systems—from Kotwali Bazaar to McLeodganj — and the absence of sewage disposal in cantonment and other areas are dangerously destabilising the fragile hill slopes of Dharamsala and McLeodganj.