Shimla Building Collapses Post-Evacuation; Four-Lane Road Blamed

Shimla Building Collapses Post-Evacuation; Locals Blame Four-Lane Construction

A day after the timely evacuation of a drastic building collapse in the Bhattakufer region of Shimla, the picturesque capital of Himachal Pradesh, another drastic collapse building occurred on the Mathu Colony. The five storey collapsed like a deck of cards after intense rains but luckily no deaths were recorded. The incident has however brought a heated debate among the locals as well as the experts with many of them citing the ongoing construction of a four-lane road as the main villain.

The Sudden Collapse-

The building situated on the path that leads to Chamyana Super Speciality Hospital had signatures of cracks that were alarming days before collapsing. Local authorities, realizing that the situation can already be regarded as dangerous, evacuated all residents in a short time, avoiding the possible tragedy. Eyewitnesses described hearing loud creaks as the building eventually collapsed, blasting clouds of dust to the environment and creating panic among the residents of other buildings. The spectacular imagery of the collapse which has spread everywhere is a bitter warning about the instability of the construction in the ecologically damaged area of the Himalaya.

Natives accuse Four-lane road work-

Although heavy rainfall has been referred to as one of the causes of landslides, as well as collapse of structures in the hill towns, the frequent downpours have been sighted to be a secondary factor whereas, the inhabitants of Bhattakufer, are adamant in pointing out that the construction of the four-lane highway, which is underway adjacent to the area is the cause. They claim that it is because of heavily moving machines, deep trenches and unscientific slope cutting in the road project that has destabilized the already fragile earth beneath their residences.

These concerns are supported by experts and reports of past incidences of measured incidents in Himachal Pradesh. Major construction development, particularly the one that requires numerous earthworks across mountains may dislocate the inherent drainage and erode ground supports. The vibrations due to the unstopped movements of machines and displacement of earth may cause cracks and worsen the pre-existing weaknesses making them collapse and causing landslides mostly during monsoon.

Reports have surfaced regarding similar situations along other stretches of four-lane highways in Himachal, with portions failing repeatedly because of what experts term as unscientific slope cutting.

Wider Implications for Hill Town Development-

This has brought the science of development versus ecology in the Himalayas into sharp focus. Shimla, among several hill towns, is becoming denser due to population surge and tourism, and needs enhanced infrastructure. Given the geological particulars of the region, the method of construction has to be highly sophisticated and, above all, sustainable.

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The failure raises important questions about the supervision of construction, the assessment of land stability, and the required checks to be more restrictive in the residual areas in hill-town land use plans. It also raises calls for more geological surveys, the fulfilment of more diligent engineering requirements, and ongoing follow-ups with projects while they are underway. While it appears that lives were saved with the timely evacuation, this situation serves as a harsh reminder of the danger we face when we disregard the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayas in pursuit of fast-tracked road development. Authorities are now assessing damages and threats, with several neighbouring buildings also at risk of collapse.

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