Buildings collapse in rain-battered Himachal Pradesh, highlight vulnerability

At least eight vacant buildings declared unsafe after developing cracks due to heavy rains collapsed at Anni in Kullu on Thursday, highlighting the vulnerability of such structures in rain-battered Himachal Pradesh.

Building collapses have been reported across the state, where heavy rains have triggered landslides and flash floods this monsoon and left at least 120 people dead in August alone. As many as 238 people have been killed since the onset of the monsoon in June with chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu saying the state has suffered losses of ₹10,000 crore so far.

Settlements along streams and water bodies have been particularly vulnerable. Two people were killed and eight houses collapsed in Shimla’s Krishna Nagar last week. In neighbouring Solan, at least 30 houses were buried under a landslide in Shamti village.

A five-member committee of experts constituted to ascertain the reason for the sinking of the land after a landslide left 17 people dead on August 15 has concluded in its preliminary report that it was due to loose soil strata

Repeated landslides in Shimla prompted the government to set up the committee. “There are different factors for the sinking of land. ... to a large extent, soil strata is responsible...” said one of the members of the panel, requesting anonymity.

Onkar Sharma, principal secretary of the state revenue department, said the government is committed to safeguarding the residents and the infrastructure from landslide threats.

National Disaster Management Authority studies show a substantial area of 38,000 sq km in the state is susceptible to landslides with 7,800 sq km deemed to be at high risk.

Experts have called for a shift in policies on land use and urban planning with a geology-based approach. “Geological factors, including soil stability, water flow patterns, and terrain characteristics, must be considered for urban development plans. Governments and local authorities must collaborate with geological experts to create sustainable urban spaces,” said SS Randhawa, the principal scientific officer of the Himachal Pradesh Council for Science, Technology and Environment.

Randhawa, the coordinator of a panel studying the causes of landslides in Shimla, cautioned against building structures near water bodies without an understanding of geological dynamics. He added ill-informed construction can endanger lives and property.

Most of the buildings damaged in the landslides in Shimla were built on the path of a stream.

Experts said several sites were unsuitable for construction. “There is a need to check the sewage disposal infrastructure, too. Shimla consumes 42 MLD [million litres a day] of water but only 15% of it reaches the tanks. Where does the rest of it go?” asked Rakesh Sharma, a retired engineer in chief of the Jal Shakti department.

Shimla has been growing rapidly with ribbon development along highways and other roads becoming a common feature. There has been an unplanned growth in prominent ridges of Sanjauli, Cemetery, Dhalli, Bhattakufar, Mehli, Kangnadhar, Khalini, and Bharari. “People are building houses with cheap construction material, making these structures even more vulnerable,” said Shimla’s chief architect Rajiv Sharma.