Modi govt’s flawed construction along J&K highway caused landslides

In the second week of February, a landslide struck a second time in a week along the Ramban-Banihal stretch on the Jammu–Srinagar highway (NH 44). A brief rainfall caused an avalanche as a result of the loose mud due to the widening of various stretches along the 300-km highway, which connects the Kashmir valley to the rest of the country. The trees and some wild animals sedimented into the nearby water body. For four days, nearly 2,000 vehicles carrying passengers, and consumables lay stranded.

“The recent landslide, as per the video, was caused due to unscientific widening work of the contractor along the highway,” said Shakil Ramshoo, head of the earth sciences department at Kashmir University.

“Look at the video,” he emphasised, “the way toe of the slope was cut at the edge, a landslide was imminent. Gap on the top of the mountain is visible, which collapsed when the earth beneath was removed by workers.”

The Central government-sponsored widening project has been scheduled along three stretches— Jammu-Udhampur, Udhampur-Ramban, and Ramban-Banihal, because the government hopes that the widening will ease the traffic movement as more than 2,000 vehicles use the route.

Widening along the simplest of the three stretches, Jammu-Udhampur, has already been completed and several landslides occurred there too. The recent landslide occurred on the most difficult terrain, and more are imminent. The Centre had announced eight new highway projects in 2015 and all of them will cut through landslide-prone areas. All these highway projects are going to be difficult.

In addition to these projects, there is also a railway line between Katra and Banihal, on which crores have been spent, but has remained unconnected because of zero groundwork and flawed planning. The central government hopes to connect that too.

According to a research paper published by Journal of the Geological Society of India, which investigated the landslide at Sangaldan, near tunnel-47, on Katra-Qazigund Railway track, on September 25, 2010, it stated that the construction had cause a landslide, which devastated about 50 buildings, a mosque, standing crops and nearly about 400m stretch of approach road

In regions where hydro-power stations have been built and rainfall occurs, landslides are a frequent phenomenon. Additionally, there are nearly six hydro power projects running on various rivers in highly earthquake and landslide prone regions in Jammu.

“Mountains are always prone to landslides. But construction on massive scale makes them more vulnerable,” said Ramshoo. “Ideally growing of more trees on them is suggested to prevent natural landsides, instead they are cut, modified by human intervention, making it more disastrous.”

“Doesn’t the Central government have any other alternative for connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country other than this highway,” asked an SSP-rank police officer, who was in-charge of several highways. An alternative could be to open the Mughal road and Sinthan, which connects Kashmir with Jammu through Shopian and Poonch.

“Jammu-Srinagar is not an all-weather route, but it is being used as one,” he said. “Because other routes are closed. The problem is the heavy traffic. If the Jammu-Srinagar highway is used for vehicles in a single direction, then this will increase movement, stop road widening and thus landslides. The existing hills only need to be jacketed then,” he explained.

LOSS of MONEY, LIVESTOCK and FOOD

During the landslide, markets in the Kashmir Valley, which remains dependent on imports from rest of the country, were running dry. Due to shortage of supply, prices of daily consumables sky rocketed. The price of onions went up to Rs 50 from just Rs 20, peas went up to Rs 40 from Rs 15, and cauliflower went up to Rs 30 from Rs 10. At some places there was dearth of vegetables too.

“During winters Kashmir remains mostly dependent on fruits and vegetables from outside,” said Bashir Ahmad, president, New Kashmir Fruit and Vegetable Association, Parimpora. “So, if a vehicle laden with vegetables remains on the way for 12 hours, it gets rotten, and fruits after 24 hours. These losses are not temporary, but recurrent,” he said.

According to government data, every year, Jammu and Kashmir imports more than 110 thousand metric tons of milk, more than 750 million eggs, more than 90 lakh broiler birds in addition to 22.9 crore culled poultry birds, and a total of 10.24 lakh sheep and goat. All this comes through the highway that remains closed either due to landslides, or snowfall, for days together in a year.

The worst hit are the mutton dealers. Mahraj Ganai, general secretary of Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Association, the largest representative body of the mutton dealers in the Valley, said that out of nearly 40 vehicles that transport animals in winter, about 5 animals die, while rest lose weight by 1 kg, if it stays on the vehicle for more than 24 hours. “In the recent shut down, we suffered a loss of more than Rs 5 crores,” he said.

Airfare rocketed as the only available motorable remained closed. On an average, the cost of a flight from Kashmir to Delhi or vice-versa is between Rs 2,500 and Rs 4,000. Earlier, this week, it went up to Rs 10,000.

In addition to these economic losses, these landslides cause severe human and environmental losses. “Landslides cause irreparable damage to forests, wild life and water streams,” says Ramshoo.

“Eventually all that earth washed away trees on the mountain, and then fell into the nearly by water stream, causing sedimentation. This is too dangerous for environment,” he said.