Rampant, unscientific building caused Himachal disaster: CM Sukhu

On the widespread destruction, he said, “People construct houses without applying scientific methods. In recently made buildings, the drainage system is very poor. People believe they are draining the water without knowing that water is going nowhere but into the hills, making them fragile. Shimla is more than one and a half century old, and its drainage system was excellent. Now there are buildings in the nallas (runlets). The houses which are collapsing these days have not gone through the standards of structural engineering. The migrant architects (masons), whom I call ‘Bihari architects’, come here and construct floor on floor. We do not have local masons.”

He also blamed poor drainage for the damage caused to the roads. “Our secretariat is a nine storey building, the building of Advanced Study in Himachal University, Summer Hill, is an eight storey building. There was no technology when these buildings were constructed but structuring was there. We have never heard of these buildings being in danger, ever.”

Commenting on the four-landing by the NHAI, he said, “Tunnels are the only viable and feasible way to tackle the vehicle pressure on this stretch. Britishers made over a hundred tunnels to establish rail links between Kalka and Shimla. Tunnels have been standing since then. Making tunnels is a very costly affair but NHAI should not bother about the costs.”

Regional head of NHAI, Abdul Basit, who visited the Parwanoo-Solan project last Saturday, said the NHAI has 68 tunnel projects, of which 11 have been completed and the rest are under construction, with many improvements which could not be incorporated in the previous ones.

The CM also blamed faulty cutting of rocks to widen highways as a reason for landslides. “There is a way to cut the hills. Hills are always cut in slopes at an angle of 45 degree, 60 degree, etc but not at 90 degree, as was done at many locations between Kalka and Shimla,” he said.

Blaming indiscriminate construction, he said, “The river didn’t enter homes, the homes entered the river.” He also referred to the effect of climate change: “We never see rain in Lahaul-Spiti but this year that region received rainfall.”

The CM said the state had lost around 300 lives since July and suffered losses worth Rs 10,000 crore. He also called for change in central government norms for helping states that face natural calamities. The hill states and those in the Northeast should get more, he said. The Centre gives Rs 1.5 lakh for repairing one kilometre of damaged road, he said, adding: “That’s nothing.”

Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh gets ignored because it has small representation in Parliament, but the state should be given a special package by the Centre as it is the “lungs of northern India”.