Timely traffic stoppage averts big tragedy at landslide site

Subhash Rajta

Shimla, September 8

Vehicular traffic on the national highway-5 was stopped near Nigulsari village in Kinnaur district barely a few hours before

a major landslide washed away a 400-metre stretch

of the road. The timely action of the district administration saved several precious lives.

Two years ago, 28 people were killed and several others were injured when a massive landslide hit a bus and a few other vehicles about half a kilometre from the current spot.

“We stopped traffic around 6 pm and the landslide occurred around 11 pm. So, yes, it was quite a close call,” said Chander Mohan Thakur, Tehsildar, Nichar. “Had traffic not been closed, 10 to 15 vehicles would have been moving on the stretch at the time of the landslide,” he added.

The road was sinking for the past eight to 10 days but still vehicles were slowly allowed to cross the road stretch. “The restoration work on the road stretch was going on simultaneously and we were constructing breast walls to stabilise it. On Thursday evening, we noticed that the breast walls had started swelling. Sensing the danger, we informed the administration and vehicular movement was stopped,” said Satish Joshi, a National Highways Authority of India official.

Joshi said, “As the apple harvesting season is going on and peas are also being sent to various markets, several vehicles could have been moving on the 400-metre stretch when the landslide struck. A possible tragedy has been averted.”

On Thursday, a pick-up vehicle carrying apple was hit by a shooting boulder on the road stretch. “This incident also suggested that the road was no longer safe for vehicular movement and so traffic was stopped in the nick of time,” said Thakur.

Road sinking for past 10 days

• The road was sinking for the past eight to 10 days but still vehicles were slowly allowed to cross the road stretch
• Two years ago, 28 people were killed and several others were injured when a massive landslide hit a bus and a few other vehicles about half a kilometre from the current spot
• On Thursday, a pick-up vehicle carrying apple was hit by a shooting boulder on the road stretch near Negulsari village