Landslides a cause of concern for Himachal :

Himachal, the abode of pristine beauty and natural scenic magnificence that can match any other part of the world, is losing its sheen, thanks to the unscientific development path undertaken by successive state governments. It's losing its reputation of a destination with uncertainty, because people, mainly tourists, get trapped in of flash floods or massive landslides. And it’s a huge loss of revenue for those who are engaged in such activities. The number is not in hundreds but thousands who sustain on tourism. Apart from tourism, the developmental growth trajectory is severely detrimental to the native residents as well.

• Loss of lives is a common phenomenon during the rainy season.The two major disasters that struck recently, had people trapped and washed away by massive landslides in Kullu and Mandi districts. A cloud burst is usually believed to be one of the major reasons for these kinds of accidents and nothing much can be done to reduce such a disaster risk.
• While cloudbursts and floods caused due to changing climate have been causing regular devastation in Himachal Pradesh, landslides, caused mainly due to localized human intervention, too have become a cause of concern.
• Following the recent flash floods in Kinnaur district, around two dozen villages have become unsafe as they have come under the sliding zone, which is technically defined as an area experiencing regular landslides. During the current monsoons season, frequent landslides in different parts of the state not only caused damage to roads, but also left dozens of people homeless after damaging their houses.
• The hills and mountains of Himachal Pradesh are liable to suffer landslides during monsoon season and also during earthquakes. However, the vulnerability of the geologically young and not-so-stable slopes in various Himalayan ranges, has been increasing at a rapid rate in the recent decade due to inappropriate human activity like deforestation, road cutting, terracing and changes in agriculture crops requiring more intense watering.
• In the opinion of experts, the state need more intensive scientific studies and engineering measures focused on the problem of landslides. Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA) has suggested preparing zoning maps of landslides and rock-fall prone areas through geological and geo-technical studies.
• "Landslide-prone areas should be avoided while locating new settlement or buildings, and those, which are already occupied, should either be resettled or protective measures undertaken based on expert advice," states the latest report of HPSDMA.
• "Himalayan rocks are sedimentary in nature and are topographically fragile, due to which even cutting of roads cause landslide as upper portion of the mountain automatically slides down. Increased human activity like construction of roads, dams, blasting and deforestation has resulted into increased landslide activity as the entire Himalayan region falls under the instable zone.

Main Cause :

• The unscientific and disastrous form of development.
• The Himalayan ecology is extremely fragile due to many reasons, one amongst them being, that it is the youngest range of mountains in the world. Hence, meddling with the mountains in this region must be done with utter care, so that the damage is minimal.
• Parwanoo - Shimla four lane work, is a very good example, that shows contempt to the Himalayan ecology and its geology. More than 26 thousand trees have already been cut. Not to mention that the cutting of the mountain has been done vertically with a 90-degrees slope, whereas it should not have been more than 45 degrees and that too in , to hold the mountains intact.
• Another feature of the areas happens to be the major fault line that exists in the Parwanoo region, because of which the area becomes more prone to landslides and hence, greater caution is to be adopted. Movements and cutting along such fault lines must be guarded, else there will be larger landslides, which we are witnessing quite glaringly.
• Secondly, cutting of mountains for the widening of roads in any area will definitely increase the slope, be it in Mandi or Solan, which further triggers landslides.

Measures to be taken :

1. The work should be done under the adept guidance of a geologist and a proper geological study of the area must be done to ensure minimum damage. The cutting should be done in steps and not vertically, as witnessed in almost all the road constructions that are being widened in the state. Loose rocks in the outer dip of the mountain and at times even mud stones, while widening, might trigger landslides, which must be closely monitored by a Geologist.

2. It is believed that the widening of the roads in the mountains needs to carried out akin to the mining work in the mountains. This practice is hardly being adopted and the World Bank, that has been majorly funding these road widening projects, is oblivious about such important parameters and scientific interventions which are required.

3. There must be a complete synergy and integration between the different departments, so that the Public works department, which is mainly instrumental in carrying out the road construction work, gets the data feedback from the science and technology department, especially the Geology wing.