Despite new tunnels highway still volatile at vulnerable spots

Srinagar, April 07: Worried over continuous landslides on the Srinagar-Jammu highway, environmental and geological experts Thursday warned that the highway is still volatile at certain vulnerable spots suggesting precautionary measures to avoid losses.
Every year the landslides, shooting stones and large boulders falling on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway blocks the lone surface road link affecting the commuters and the drivers.
The landslides mostly occur at Ramban, Ramshoo, Khooni Nallah etc. The NH-44 national highway is highly prone to landslides because of high terrains and steep slopes along the roadside. There are several parameters that impact landslides on NH-44 National highway.
Ajaz Rasool, a Kashmir-based senior environmentalist said National Highways Authority of India (NHAIs) has started widening of the highway in the landslide-prone areas.
“Once they dig road for the widening the upper layer or the destabilized soil slides down when it rains. Before going for the widening there should be parameters like check walls or breast walls in the hilly areas along the highway which has not been done,” he said.
“Recently there was shooting of stones near a tunnel on the highway and the scenes I saw were frightening and disturbing and which could have killed people,” he said.
Ajaz said landslides happen every year and it has become normal on the highway. “Large landslides are also reported on the highway and there are many measures that could prevent the landslides on the highway,” he said.
On the other side he said the mud of landslides is openly through water bodies and that creates another problem for the flora and fauna of the water bodies near landslide sites.
Ajaz also said that although new tunnels across the highway are being constructed, the highway is still volatile for travellers or commuters.
Senior Assistant Professor Department of Geoinformatics, University of Kashmir, Dr Irfan Rashid said the precipitation in such areas remains frozen in winter and it lubricates as temperature grows and cohesive forces between adjacent rocks loose.
“The four-laning of the highway caused damage to the soil at several places. There are many unstable slopes where landslides are bound to happen,” he said.
“Last year witnessed landslides in Kashmir as well as in Ladakh region which damaged infrastructure. These were also reported in the entire Himalayas. This year also the frequency of landslides may increase in alpine areas of Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu and northwestern frontier zones also,” he said.