130 landslide zones on routes to Gangotri & Yamunotri, treatment work underway
PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
There has been a rise in landslide-prone zones along the Gangotri and Yamunotri routes after the 2025 flash floods, raising safety concerns amid the ongoing Char Dham Yatra.
Public Works Department executive engineer Mahendra Kumar told The Pioneer that the Gangotri route currently has about 85 active landslide zones. Of these, work has been sanctioned for 46 sites, with 19 completed and 27 in progress. Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are being prepared for the remaining 39 locations, he said.
On the Yamunotri route, 45 landslide-prone zones have been identified. Of these, 32 sites have been sanctioned for treatment. Work has been completed at eight locations, while work is underway on eight more. Among the remaining sanctioned sites, 16 are in the tender stage. Work on the remaining 13 locations is yet to be sanctioned with these being in the DPR preparation stage, according to the PWD data.
Kumar stated that pre-flood data is not available for direct comparison, but added that the number of vulnerable stretches has increased after the disaster last year.
The Centre has sanctioned about Rs 1,400 crore under the Char Dham project for slope stabilisation and related works. However, most projects are still at the sanction or early implementation stage, with limited utilisation reported so far.
Kumar said that long-term treatment of these landslide zones is expected to take about one and a half years. Work is being carried out through multiple agencies.
He added that repair and stabilisation work will continue during the Yatra season, with efforts to minimise inconvenience to pilgrims. While some disruption cannot be ruled out, measures are being taken to manage traffic during peak movement.
