Shimla, August 28: Heavy rains on Wednesday evening triggered a landslide, causing a major portion of the Richmount-Navbahar road near Machhi Wali Kothi to collapse.
The landslide also led to the collapse of an old two-storey house, which was already declared unsafe. Fortunately, there were no casualties as the building was vacant.
Vehicle movement has been badly affected due to the landslide, with more than half of the road destroyed. Former ward councillor Dr. Kimi Sood said cracks had been visible on the road for a long time, which were further aggravated due to the recent rains. Despite several complaints lodged by local residents with the municipal corporation and the Public Works Department, no concrete action was taken to address the issue.
According to Karan Nanda, a local resident, the Public Works Department tried to start repair work on Wednesday afternoon, but the road collapsed in the evening. The situation has worsened due to underground water seepage caused by leaking drinking water line.
The landslide has also blocked the old forest Jakhu road between Richmond and Ramchandra Chowk, as well as the link road leading from Machhi Wali Kothi to the US Club, completely snapping internal connectivity within the state capital.
Besides, the cracks on the historic Ridge ground have also widened, especially in front of the Gaiety Theatre, raising concerns of further damage due to incessant rains. The ongoing construction work under the Smart City Mission has also been hampered, as new cracks have appeared in the central part of the Ridge ground.
Incessant rains in the last 48 hours have uprooted 11 trees in various wards, including Summerhill, Chhota Shimla, Annadale and Kusumpti.
A large deodar tree fell on the Directorate of Information and Public Relations building in Chhota Shimla, severely damaging the roof and walls.
Landslides have occurred in several areas, with Summerhill being particularly affected, where the fallen trees have temporarily blocked traffic.
Heavy rains in the Mist Chamber area of ​​Khalini Ward have caused a dam supporting the foundation of a building to collapse, posing a serious threat to the building.
Local officials and councillors are actively working to restore roads and clear debris, but the situation still remains dangerous as many green trees in the city have become unstable and could fall.
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