PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Public Works Department (PWD) officials stated that the department has initiated an assessment of vulnerable slopes, in a move aimed at reducing landslide risks along the busy Mussoorie Road corridor. The officials said that it engaged the Uttarakhand Landslide Mitigation and Management Centre (ULMMC) to identify areas requiring urgent stabilisation measures.
The exercise has already commenced with ULMMC experts conducting site inspections at several locations along the stretch. The officials are now awaiting a detailed project report (DPR), which will outline the extent of interventions required to safeguard the road and adjoining infrastructure.
The PWD engineer-in-chief Rajesh Chandra Sharma told The Pioneer that ULMMC has been formally brought on board for the exercise and its team has completed the initial field visit. “ULMMC has conducted a site visit on Mussoorie Road and the work has started. The DPR is awaited, after which the required measures will be known,” he said.
The assessment is focused on identifying unstable slopes and determining suitable slope protection and stabilisation measures. He said that they had earlier resolved to map vulnerable stretches, particularly locations where loose hill slopes, seasonal streams and drainage channels could trigger erosion or landslides during periods of intense rainfall.
He added that officials have been instructed to prioritise preventive action at high-risk sites, especially where water channels pass beneath weak slopes. Protective works and slope-treatment measures are also being proposed in areas falling within the Highest Flood Level (HFL) zone, where erosion risks remain significant during the monsoon season.
In addition, the PWD plans to undertake drone surveys along key road corridors to identify vulnerable slopes, seasonal watercourses and erosion-prone sections. The surveys are expected to provide detailed terrain data, enabling the department to detect hazards in advance and undertake timely treatment measures.
He said that the initiative will help minimise recurring landslides and reduce damage to roads, retaining structures and other public assets along vulnerable hill routes.
