Shimla: Damaged road after massive landslide in Baluganj due to monsoon rains in Shimla. (Photo: PTI)
Rescue and reconstruction efforts are underway after several landslides occurred in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday as a result of persistent rains.
According to the district administration, at least 20 bodies have been recovered from the rubble and search operations are underway. The Shimla district administration held an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the situation and begin the process of restoring the roads.
“We have called a meeting today due to the landslides and damaged roads. All the concerned departments have been called together to discuss the traffic system and restoration of the roads. The chief engineer (PWD) has submitted a restoration plan and geologists will assess the situation. A report will be submitted on the restoration of these roads,” said deputy commissioner Anupam Kashyap.
“As for the Rampur floods in Samej areas, the search operations have not yielded complete results yet. We have recovered 20 out of 33 bodies; the search is on. The bodies were found floating in the Sutlej river and five spots along the river bank are being monitored. Major damage occurred earlier in Samej and Taklech areas. Reconstruction work is ongoing,” Kashyap added.
The numerous landslides in Shimla have severely affected Boilouganj, Chaura Maidan and MLA Crossing. The road between Chaura Maidan, Boilouganj and MLA Crossing has been severely damaged.
“Landslides have been occurring at several places in the capital for the last two days. The road connecting Boilouganj is now impassable due to the landslides and we have diverted traffic from Boilouganj Chow via Court Road,” said Shimla SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi.
He further said that the Deputy Commissioner of Shimla has called a meeting to discuss the geological aspects, preparedness and restoration efforts in the city. “We have diverted the traffic to ensure public safety and the concerned departments will focus on quality engineering for the repairs. Additional police personnel will be deployed for traffic management,” the SP said.
Residents expressed concern over the damaged roads and blamed local authorities for their negligence that led to the landslides. Residents are worried about possible problems with water and sewage services as the infrastructure is affected.
Karamveer, a local resident, expressed his frustration that the damaged roads are causing major problems. “We believe that the landslides are due to the negligence of the officials. It is the responsibility of the authorities to take care of these problems, but the local people are suffering. If these problems are not addressed, it will have serious consequences for the local residents,” said Karamveer.
“Areas like Boilouganj, Totu, Chakkar and Bara Gaon may face water scarcity and other problems due to damaged infrastructure. Continuation of construction work in these areas is likely to aggravate the problems,” he added.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been edited by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First published: August 22, 2024 | 6:49 am IS
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