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Shimla’s marquee Ridge sinks, who cares?

The historic Ridge comprising The Mall, Town Hall, Gaiety Theatre, state library building, Ashiana Goofa and the imposing Christ Church along with the towering Lord Hanuman idol atop the Jakhu hills overlooking the city are the landmarks of Shimla.

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Kuldeep Chauhan

The historic Ridge comprising The Mall, Town Hall, Gaiety Theatre, state library building, Ashiana Goofa and the imposing Christ Church along with the towering Lord Hanuman idol atop the Jakhu hills overlooking the city are the landmarks of Shimla. They are an inseparable part of the heritage that has the potential to make Shimla the global tourist capital of India.

But the Ridge, a broad avenue that gives a feeling of an open space affording a panoramic view of the snow-clad Himalayan ranges on the north, is sinking. It presents a picture of neglect as it has continuously been used for political purposes. 

The sinking and stinking Ridge has brought the spotlight on the problem and made residents of the city worried. The Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) has long been planning to restore and stabilise The Ridge, but the plans at the best have ended up as patch works with no permanent solution.

Both ruling BJP and opposition Congress have been exploiting The Ridge, a rare broad pedestrians’ paradise, for political rallies and noisy sideshows to promote their interests and erect statues of tall leaders over the years.

Like former chief ministers, incumbent Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has also inspected the sinking northern portion of The Ridge and directed the state agencies, including the Public Works Department (PWD) and the SMC, to restore its old glory.    But Thakur also intends to install a statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on The Ridge; the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Lala Lajpat Rai, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, founder of Himachal and its first Chief Minister Dr YS Parmar and Lt General Daulat Singh already exist there.

This time, the BJP-run SMC and government are talking about finding a permanent solution to the problem. The SMC is talking about an Rs 35-crore plan to save the sinking portion of The Ridge on which will stand Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s statue. But will The Ridge be saved from sinking?

Shimla Mayor Kusum Sadret claims that they will save the sinking Ridge in a phased manner. The corporation will spend Rs 35 crore on its stabilisation and beautification. “We are planning to install a statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the surface of the structure raised on the hard strata of the sinking portion of The Ridge,” she adds.

She says that the corporation will first stabilise and beautify the sinking portion of The Ridge located between the Pandit Padam Dev Complex and the HP Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) tourist information office. “It is this northern portion of The Ridge where we will set up Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s statue. Once this portion is stabilised, we will take up the work on the northern portion of The Ridge located near the eastern end of the Pandit Padam Dev Complex towards Lakkar Bazaar in the second phase,” she adds. 

Sadret says that the SMC is planning to construct a complex that will bring the sinking zone to the level of The Ridge. Like the Pandit Padam Dev Complex, this structure will house SMC offices. But then all depends on how much space they will get after the PWD finalises the project, she adds.

What caused sinking

Geologists and engineering experts have found that blocked natural drains and loose soil dumped on the northern slope of the iconic Ridge about 100 years ago are responsible for the cracks that re-appeared due to heavy rains during the recent monsoons. “The sinking northern portion of The Ridge can be stabilised by raising a proper structure and maintaining the drainage system. These cracks are on the surface,” says Puneet Guleria, a geologist.

He says that they apprised the Chief Minister about the reasons for the emergence of the cracks when he inspected the spot last month. “Drains were blocked. Seepage of rainwater washed away the loose soil, leading to the sinking of the portion. The report of a geological study conducted on this sinking part in 2008 has been submitted to the SMC,” he adds. 

Roorkee IIT team inspects site

Suresh Kapur, Superintending Engineer, PWD, says that a team of the IIT, Roorkee, inspected the sinking site on The Ridge for geo-technical investigation last week. “We are carrying out drilling at four points on the sinking portion to investigate the soil. Excavated debris was dumped on this portion of The Ridge long time ago, which keeps on sinking due to rains. We have found hard rock at a depth ranging from 6 m to 12 m,” he adds.

Kapur says that the soil investigation report will be sent to the IIT, Roorkee, for further investigation. The IIT has sought a geo-technical report on the topography of The Ridge. “We are doing geo-technical investigation, which will be completed in two weeks,” he adds.

He says that the IIT will submit its complete project report for the stabilisation of The Ridge this month. “We are planning a structure that can be raised on the hard strata. But things will be clear once we get the complete report from the IIT,” he adds.

Sanjay Chauhan, a former Mayor of Shimla, says that the SMC has rehashed the old plan formulated when the corporation was run by the CPM. “The BJP wants to install a statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee on The Ridge and does not want to save it in the right perspective,” he adds.

Also, the IIT, Roorkee, had conducted a study on the sinking portion in 2015 and found that hard rock on The Ridge lies at a depth of 4 m to 9 m depending upon the amount of debris and loose strata of soil dumped on its northern slopes many years ago, says Chauhan.

The study also found that water storage tanks under the surface of The Ridge were intact, but a big crack was also present on the starting point of The Ridge on its northern side, the former Mayor adds.

Ban rallies, noisy sideshows

Shimla residents want the government to ban political rallies and big gatherings on The Ridge once and for all to protect its sanctity, as big storage tanks that supply drinking water in the city are located under its concrete slab.

These water supply tanks were built by the British, who had made Shimla their summer capital for long 135 years. The residents say that the SMC had always found the tanks to be intact whenever they were cleaned every year.

But the successive state governments ignored this fact and damaged the sanctity of this heritage space of historical value, they lament.

“We had mulled an Rs 30-crore Ridge stabilisation plan that included a stable structure and a green park on this portion, but the previous Congress government rejected it for some unknown reasons,” says Chauhan.

The geological wing in the Department of Industries carried out a study in 2008 after big cracks developed on the northern portion of The Ridge. “We carried out drilling on this spot and found that hard rock lies at 5.6 m depth,” says Guleria.

The geological study found that debris was dumped on the northern portion of The Ridge. The debris and loose soil was excavated from the site where the water storage tanks were constructed under the main wider portion of The Ridge during the British Raj sometime in 1900s, the geologists note.

“Every structure and the sinking zone can be stabilised with the help of engineering and technology, which are available in plenty today,” says Dr Kaustav Sarkar, an assistant professor at the School of Engineering, IIT, Mandi. “All that is required is political willpower, proper design, use of right material, quality control and maintenance,” he adds.

“The famous Ridge is the largest open landmark, which essentially needs to be protected,” says Capt Ved Sood (retd), who lives near The Ridge and is a former convener of the Shimla chapter of INTACH. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to see Shimla as the tourism capital of India as much as he wants Himachal Pradesh to be the tourism state of the county. He compared Shimla with Chicago when he visited the USA recently, he says.

“We need to protect heritage structures and the open broad avenue and landmarks such as The Ridge, The Mall, Town Hall and Gaiety Theatre from being erased from the map of global tourism,” he says.

“The Shimla Amateur Dramatics Club has a south court towards The Mall side of The Ridge. If a north court comes up on the sinking portion of The Ridge, then things will fall in place,” adds Capt Sood (retd).

“If Shimla is to be saved, we need to restore Bantony Hill and The Ridge with funds generated through the corporate social responsibility mode. It is a pity that the capital city has the same urban infrastructures as existed about 100 years ago,” he says.

A big crack has also appeared on The Ridge where water tanks are located under its concrete surface, says Chauhan. Both Congress and BJP governments have not protected the sanctity of The Ridge. They organised political rallies there, as per their convenience,” he adds.

Littered with trash, junk

Even trash, junk and filth from shops, vendors, restaurants and a private hospital located at the Pandit Padam Dev Complex find their way to the northern portion of The Ridge, say locals.

Horse-keepers do not care two hoots to use bags to take care of the dung stench that greets tourists on the east-end of The Ridge. Even waste papers, wrappers, used plastic bottles and eatables are tossed on the northern part of The Ridge by tourists. This in turn blocks drains and defaces the natural habitat, making it a feasting ground for monkeys and stray dogs, say local residents.

The Tibetan Market located along the Rivoli road that leads from the northern face of The Ridge is also contributing to the problem. 

No lessons learnt

Last year, former Governor Acharya Devvrat had carried out a Swachh Shimla campaign on this portion of The Ridge and directed the Shimla Municipal Corporation to keep the slopes clean and green by developing a park there. But even today the site reeks of garbage stench and weeds and bushes of all sorts can be seen there because a sluggish SMC has failed to learn lessons, say locals.

“We need to create an urban forest habitat to arrest the menace of monkeys and stray dogs in the city. This habitat will promote eco-tourism and green cover in the city,” says Capt Sood (retd).

PM wants Shimla to be tourism capital

The famous Ridge is the largest open landmark, which needs to be protected. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to see Shimla as the tourism capital of India as much as he wants Himachal Pradesh to be the tourism state. He compared Shimla with Chicago when he visited the USA recently. Capt Ved Sood (retd), resident of Shimla

SMC has rehashed old plan: Ex-Mayor

The Shimla Municipal Corporation has rehashed the old plan formulated when the corporation was run by the CPM. The BJP wants to construct a statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee on The Ridge and does not want to save it in the right sense. Sanjay Chauhan, former Mayor

Plan to install Vajpayee’s statue: Mayor

We will save the sinking Ridge in a phased manner. The municipal corporation will spend Rs 35 crore on its stabilisation and beautification. We are planning to install a statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the surface of the structure raised on the hard strata of the sinking portion of The Ridge. Kusum Sadret, Mayor

Report of IIT Roorkee awaited: MC Commissioner

We have received the report of the state geologist and the PWD will execute the plan. Before this, we are getting an independent study of the spot conducted by the IIT, Roorkee, which will submit a detailed report. Pankaj Rai, Municipal Commissioner

 
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